The Runaways
by Kuroi Uma
Summary: When Relena's life is threatened, the Preventers summon Heero to get her out of the country and protect her, with the help of old friends and a mysterious character. HeeroXRelena
1. Chapter 1

_The Runaways_

**Chapter 1**

He finished his report and leaned back on the chair, closing his laptop. He could feel how tired his eyes were and he spared a quick thought for his awaiting bed before he glanced at the clock. It was already past midnight. His eyes ran the length of the room. He had been sitting in that chair for the past three hours and his body didn't seem willing to move.

A sudden knock on the door startled him. He frowned, checking the clock again just to be sure. His gun rested beside the laptop, he grabbed it on his way to the door. Strategically positioned, he turned the knob to find the black eyes of Chang Wufei, his sometimes mission partner, staring at his gun and then curiously back at him.

"Didn't you get my message?"

He simply shook his head and stepped aside for the other man to walk in. With practiced ease he hid the gun behind his back and closed the door. "Coffee?"

"No, thank you." The Chinese man pulled himself a chair, waiting for him to do the same before continuing. "Une received a call from the Foreign Minister's head of security…"

"Relena's?" he asked, he had been one of the people who had helped to pick up the Minister's security staff members, he couldn't believe there had been flaws now, after so many years.

Wufei nodded and leaned back on the chair, crossing his arms. "Apparently, Ms. Darlian received a phone call, from an untraceable number, warning her that if she insisted on defending peace her days would be numbered."

"She's been threatened…" he repeated to himself, resting his elbows on the table and intertwining his fingers. "Any idea of who it might have been?"

"Une thinks it may have been that anti-peace group that has been growing."

"They have members spread all over the globe."

"So it is said, but those are still just rumours. I would rather believe they're not half as powerful or organized as they're scary."

"If peace weren't so fragile that group wouldn't have such an impact." He stood, suddenly feeling angry but too tired to show it. The clock marked almost a quarter to one and he decided to have a cup of coffee since Wufei didn't seem to be done yet. "How does Une plan to act?"

"This is where you come in."

He sighed as he reclaimed his seat. "I thought so." It seemed that whenever it came to Relena there was no one who didn't think he was the best option. He could only guess at their reasons, but he had the feeling they expected more from him than they revealed. As long as it didn't make him feel pressured, he decided, he didn't care.

"Une wants you to get her as far from here as possible without leaving the planet."

"Where to?"

"When I left, she still hadn't decided." The Chinese man closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath, then dug into his coat pockets and came up with two airplane tickets. "We're catching a plane in two hours. You should be at her house before the sun rises."

He finished his coffee and stood, silently. A small bag awaited inside his bedroom closet, perfect to carry everything he judged necessary. He was ready to take his laptop too, but he knew he shouldn't take anything that could be traced back to him. Wufei nodded when he closed it in a drawer. Within half an hour they were ready to leave.

* * *

It was a little after five in the morning that they drove into the Darlian estate. The mansion looked to him just as it always had, the marble stairs invited them inside and the gardens gave the whole place an old, classic feeling. Duo was waiting at the top of the stairs, his usually carefree posture replaced by a more business-like one as he paced and fidgeted. Before he was out of the car, the American was running towards them.

"You're late."

He frowned, he was never late. "Wufei didn't say anything about that. Chang?"

"I'm sorry, Yuy, but I'm late."

"He makes jokes now. Can you believe it?" Duo asked as the Chinese man drove away.

"I thought you had said I was late. If that's true then we better get going." He threw the bag on his back and started climbing the stairs.

"You're right as usual… But you could be a little more friendly, couldn't you? I mean, it's been like months since we last saw each other."

Had it really been just months? He could not even remember when he had last seen the other man. It had been a long busy year and now, as Christmas approached, he realized he hadn't done anything but work. Perhaps Lady Une, his boss, was right. Perhaps he really did need vacations. As they entered the mansion though and he refocused on his impending mission he realized he had no idea when that would be, therefore there was no use thinking about it.

"Relena's waiting upstairs." Duo commented as they entered the mansion and headed towards more marble stairs, these covered by a wine coloured rug. "When you're ready, I'll drive you to a private hangar nearby where a Preventer's airplane will be waiting to take you wherever it is you're going."

"So you don't know where we're going either."

"No. I think Une wants total and complete secrecy."

"It's understandable."

They walked down a long corridor, past dozens of open bedroom doors. Paintings adorned the walls, the figures portrayed seemed to watch them curiously as they passed. At the end of the corridor, a closed door awaited them. Duo knocked, then identified himself and they suddenly found themselves in the mansion's master suite. Relena stood by the window, she smiled when she saw them.

"Heero." She greeted him with a nod, and he noticed how pale and fidgety she was. It was probably a good idea to get her out of the country.

"Relena." He repeated her gesture, his eyes falling on the bag she had placed on her bed. "Are you ready?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"I believe we still have some time." He checked his watch then turned to the American who shrugged, "I'd like to hear the whole story from you, if that's okay."

"Of course." She walked towards the bed, her steps never faltering, and sat. He admired her strength. She had been through worse. "I had a busy day yesterday… Two board meetings in the afternoon. I barely spent any time at the office. That's why when I got home, at about seven, I had a quick dinner and went straight to the study to work. My maid brought me some tea at a quarter to ten, right before she went to bed, so I guess it must have been a little after ten that the phone rang…"

"Relena," Duo laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "you really don't need to–."

"Let me finish." She looked from one man to the other. "Please." Heero nodded, understanding how important that was to her. She smiled up at him, blinking back tears, then looked away again, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. " 'Foreign Minister Darlian?' a male voice asked. 'Yes.' I said. 'Who is it?' there was a pause then, a short pause, and he continued. 'We've been watching you and, I'm sorry to say, we're not pleased with what you've been doing. Not at all.' I tried to interrupt him at this point to ask him what he was talking about but he wouldn't stop… 'Your constant fight for peace has been compromising our activities significantly, and we can't allow this to go any further. If you insist on doing this, we should warn you that your days are numbered.'."

They sat in silence for a while. He could see Relena's hands shaking, but he knew that even as scared as she was she would've rather stay and resume her work.

It was still dark outside, the city sleeping quietly under that cold hour of the morning, even so he knew it was getting late. He checked his watch again, it was already past five thirty. Duo seemed to read his thoughts for he was soon heading towards the door.

"I'll get the engine started." He explained before leaving.

"Where are we going?" Relena asked in a whisper.

"I don't know." He answered honestly, no longer irritated by his lack of information.

He pulled her bag off the bed and placed it by the door. He thought she might need some time, but she was already on her feet, that gentle smile back on her face. They walked together to the front of the house where the American had just parked a small discreet car. A young lady wearing an apron was also waiting for them, Relena's maid. The girl looked about to cry. Heero didn't say anything, allowing the two women to bid their goodbyes.

"I'm sorry. She's still young and much attached to me." Relena explained later when they were already on their way.

It was a thirty minutes' drive from the Darlian mansion to the hangar, which was owned by a retired army pilot. Duo left them with the old man who happened to be a big admirer of the Minister's work. He said the plane had been left there during the night by a woman with short black hair. Heero had no doubt he was talking about Noin, and that reassured him, but the man also affirmed there were no messages left for them. Soon they were inside the plane, and he had no idea where he was supposed to go.

"This is ridiculous…" he muttered, finally losing his patience, after checking the entire plane for clues.

"Wait." Relena stopped him before he could leave to find a phone. "Duo said he had put a cell phone in my bag…" she pulled the mentioned bag out of its compartment and opened the zip. A white envelope fell on her feet. "What's this?"

He took the envelope from her, it was closed and there was no name or address written. Inside a small piece of paper with coordinates and one word: Amazonas.

* * *

**Notes: **Thanks for reading! When I started this fic, I was pretty sure it would turn out to be a HeeroXRelena, but - since it's mainly an Action/Adventure fic and therefore pairings are not as important - I'd like to ask your opinion as readers. Should there be a pairing? If yes, what would you like to see?


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

They landed on Manaus's International Airport at four in the afternoon (local time), both more than eager to get off the plane. Relena had slept most of the time. Heero thought she needed it after all that had happened. Even after twelve hours of flight and more than five thousand miles the reality of their situation wasn't lost on them. Sally waited at the exit with a car ready to take them wherever they were due next.

"Heero, Relena, it's really good to see you despite the circumstances." She greeted with her usual smile.

"It's good to see you too, Sally." The blonde woman smiled back, feeling a lot more like herself now that she had rested.

"If you wouldn't mind getting in the car… I'll explain everything to you in the way."

"I never thought we would be sent here." Relena commented as she fastened her seatbelt. Sally got in the car as well while Heero dealt with their few bags. "I always wanted to visit South America."

"I bet Heero isn't very happy with all the secrecy…" the preventer smiled knowingly.

"He seems a little stressed."

"Well, I guess that should be expected since he hasn't taken a vacation in…" she fastened her own seatbelt and quickly turned to the subject of their conversation as he climbed on the passenger's seat. "Heero, when was the last time you took a vacation?"

"What?" he stared at her, unsure if he had heard right, but even more unsure if he should answer. He was too tired to just listen quietly as she reprimanded him. A red folder lying beside Relena on the backseat caught his attention. "I suppose that folder holds the information we need."

"Yes, yes. Could you get it for me, please?' Sally started the car as he opened the folder. "Inside there you'll find all your new documents."

"New documents?" the Minister asked, curious.

"Yes, new identities." The older woman smirked. "While you stay here in Brazil you'll be Leon and Karen Müeller. There's a file there with your whole life story." She pointed to the papers Heero held in his hands. "You, Heero, are an environmentalist. Relena writes articles for a science magazine."

"We met during a congress in Amsterdam." He continued, reading the file. "Came here to research on local flora and fauna." A sudden pause of his made Relena lean over, as far as the seatbelt allowed her, to try and read over his shoulder. She didn't have the time to. "What's the meaning of this?"

"It's just part of your disguise, Heero." Sally gave him a sideways glance. "You have to admit that you're not similar enough to pass as siblings."

"We could've been friends!"

"So you mean we are…" Relena managed to lean even closer.

"Married, yes." The other woman answered.

"Does Une realize what this involves?" Heero continued though, he admitted only to himself, he couldn't understand why exactly that bothered him so much.

"I'm sure the lady knows what she's doing, Heero. Now…" she quickly changed the subject. "There's a bag in the trunk with everything you'll need for your disguises to be complete, weapons and a laptop _exclusively for Relena_." Heero snorted knowing she had stressed that last part especially for him. "You know the reason we didn't send you to the colonies was because that would make it difficult for Relena to continue working. These bastards can't stop her from doing her job; if they did there would be no point to all of this."

"I know."

After a brief pause for them to prepare their disguises, they soon arrived at the hotel where they would be staying until their guide, a Brazilian Preventers' agent, brought them new orders from Lady Une. It was a small hotel, owned by a local family, and having foreign tourists seemed to be more than an honour. The Müeller couple was given the best room, and the owner, a skinny old man, ran to his neighbours to bring them a dictionary for better communication.

During a modest dinner on the house, Heero watched with no little fascination as Relena learned all the basic words with the help of their waitress, a young woman that stared at her with awe and a blush. Relena seemed to have forgotten why they were there, so far from home, or maybe she was just playing her role to perfection. Either way, as they were finally allowed to return to their bedroom, Heero felt satisfied with the progress of the mission.

"I never thought it would be so hot here…" Relena commented as she sat on the bed to remove her sneakers. "Everybody's been so sweet. I can almost feel at home."

Heero opened the bag they had been given and tossed a small bottle of insect repellent oil to her. "The mosquitos won't treat you as sweetly."

"I'll need to thank Sally for these jeans." She chuckled.

"I'm taking a shower. Do not open the door under any circumstances." He gave her his most serious look and only walked into the bathroom after she had nodded.

The fresh water cooled him down, but it also cleared his mind and he couldn't help but wonder why his perception of Relena had changed, why she suddenly fascinated him so. Of course it had been almost five years since he had last seen her but she hadn't changed that much… If she was still the same then he must be the one who had changed. Now he only needed to know when, how and why. He turned off the shower, there was no use dwelling on it.

She was closing the window when he emerged. "I turned on the air conditioner." Her eyes turned to the yellowed machine. "Let's just hope it doesn't fall apart."

"It's old but looks like it's been repaired recently." he examined the machine closely. "We shouldn't have problems."

"How was the water?"

"Okay." His eyes were burning, he rubbed them tiredly.

"You should sleep." She said gently. There was something about her smile that made him want to be closer to her, or he was a lot more tired than he had thought.

"I will."

"And don't even think about sleeping on the floor." Relena added, making her way to the bathroom. "If someone deserves to sleep in that bed it is you, Heero."

"I'm not sleeping in the bed if you sleep on the floor, Relena." He tried not to sound angry, but he was too tired to control his tone. To his surprise she did not even flinch.

"I don't mind sharing the bed." She said simply, and he could only stare. Was that why she fascinated him? Because she knew him better than anyone? "Let's make an agreement then… I promise not to sleep on the floor if you promise not to sleep on the floor."

Heero blinked at her, he couldn't make much sense of anything at that point, but the way she had phrased it sounded as if she was intentionally trying to confuse him, perhaps manipulating him into agreeing. He'd deal with it in the morning. "Fine."

She smiled and that was the last he saw of her that night.

* * *

The following day, as Relena worked at her brand-new laptop, Heero decided to take a walk around town and look for some facilities he thought they might need in the long run. He found a pharmacy just fifteen minutes from the hotel, and a supermarket only half an hour later. By car the time would be reduce to about a third. Satisfied, he took a different way and headed back to the hotel. As he turned left into a small street, he spotted a restaurant. It looked cosy, but not like the kind of place that got overly crowded. He didn't pay it much mind and resumed his walk.

He found Relena sprawled on the bed with the dictionary and a note pad. She looked up, when he entered, and smiled. "How was your walk? Did you find anything?"

"It was good." He answered honestly. "There is a pharmacy, a supermarket and a restaurant nearby."

"A restaurant?" she straightened up, putting away her notes. Heero raised his eyebrows, he could practically hear her thoughts. "It's not just because I want to, Heero. You know our disguise would benefit from it too."

He sighed. There was no arguing with her, her job was convincing people and her arguments impeccable. Again he found himself agreeing with her. "When do you want to leave?"

"I'll be ready in ten minutes."

At seven o'clock, they were on their way to the restaurant after having warned the receptionist that they would not be having dinner at the hotel. Relena offered him her hand but he hesitated for too long. She simply smiled and shrugged in her girlish way. For a moment, Heero was sure he was seeing that fifteen year old girl again, the one who had dared him to kill her. He realized then that he had never really wanted to kill her, he had not even considered it after his last failed attempt.

The restaurant was practically empty when they arrived, and they were able to pick a very private table at one of the corners. With the help of the dictionary, ordering wasn't much of a problem and they soon found themselves enjoying a nice dinner with only the sound of the _bossa nova _playing softly in the background.

"So… What did you think of my last article?" Relena finally could stand the silence no longer. Heero looked up from his plate and frowned. "Leon, don't tell me you didn't read it!"

He couldn't help himself, he smiled at her. It was obvious how hard she was trying. "Actually, Karen, I haven't. I have been too busy working."

"Oh, yeah!" she smiled back. "You're an environmentalist, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am."

"We make a horrible couple."

They laughed together many times during the remaining of their dinner and were watched with curious eyes by other customers. Relena looked more than pleased, she was flushed with joy by the time they left. Heero knew it was probably the first time she had seen him laugh, but for some unknown reason he didn't feel like he had made a mistake by showing her a more human side of himself, he felt free.

She walked a little ahead of him as they made their way back to the hotel, but every once in a while she would turn around to look at him and her smile would widen. He knew right then something had changed between them. They were no longer two teenagers trying to build a friendship in the middle of a war, they were two adults who had known each other for almost ten years and were trying to recover a lost connection.

Before he could analyse what that meant though, they had arrived back at the hotel. A black car was parked at the entrance, but they didn't pay attention to it. It could've been anyone's.

The owner was waiting for them. He said a young man, who had not identified himself, was waiting at the bar. Heero considered sending Relena up and telling her to wait in the bedroom, but he could see the determination in her eyes and decided instead not to say a word. Before heading to the bar, he discreetly made sure his guns were in place. He knew it might be their guide but it might also be someone else, someone dangerous. With that in mind, he gestured for Relena to stay behind him and started walking.

* * *

**Notes: **I'm not very pleased with this chapter, but my friend says I shouldn't be such a perfectionist, so... If you find anything that you think could be improved. All comments are welcome. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

His hair was pitch black, his skin had been painted golden by the sun and his hazel eyes sparkled with life. Relena thought he was one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. He gave them a half smile and gestured for them to join him at the bar. Heero didn't move, he wanted an explanation first.

"Müeller, right?" the man finally stood and approached them. "I'm Guilherme de Almeida. I'll be your guide here in Brazil."

"That's not enough." Heero said simply and turned to leave.

"The blue bird flew to the south." Guilherme said, and Relena watched surprised as Heero's attitude changed from sceptical to business-like. That must have been some kind of code.

"We should talk upstairs."

"That would be good." He agreed following the other man's lead, but not before stopping to greet the Minister properly. "Ah, _a bela_ Karen… It's a pleasure, ma'am."

"It surely is, mister…"

"Guilherme de Almeida." He repeated, and his flirtatious smile made her blush. "But you can call me Al'."

Heero watched the exchange with mixed feelings. He cleared his throat loudly and shot an irritated glare at the man. Guilherme didn't seem much affected but they were soon back on their way to the bedroom.

"I suppose you'll be getting a room next to ours?"

"As a matter of fact. Yes."

"When will we be leaving?"

"In a couple days."

"Where are we going?" Relena cut in, wanting more than anything to break that heavy atmosphere that had settled between them.

"My orders are to drive you to the city of São Luís, capital of the estate of Maranhão. There we will get a plane to São Paulo where we will spend a few days while we wait for new orders."

"Oh…"

"Sounds like a good plan. Blending in with the huge crowds of São Paulo might be a better way to hide than getting lost in the rainforest."

"I wouldn't be so sure, Mr. Müeller. Have you ever been in Amazon Rainforest?"

Relena saw the way Heero's eyes darkened and quickly interfered before he jumped at their guide's throat. "I haven't."

"Well, if you haven't been there yet, Mrs. Müeller, I'm sure you will enjoy our day tomorrow." The way he looked at her was just as embarrassing to the young woman as the way he smiled.

"Mrs. Müeller has work to do." Heero said back under control.

"We can go after lunch. It's only a short walk between the trees." He turned to Relena. "What do you think?"

"I'd love to go, but only if Leon agrees." She looked at her supposed-to-be husband with something that resembled puppy eyes.

Heero growled, pushing open the door to their bedroom. "I'll think about it."

"Thank you." Relena half shouted as he walked in and away from them. She then turned to Guilherme with a smile. "He's a lot better than it seems… Just try not to make him angry."

"I'll keep that in mind." He nodded, holding the door open for her. "Goodnight, Karen."

"Goodnight." She gave him one last smile and walked in. She felt relieved knowing that once she got used to the Brazilian man's presence she'd be able to stop blushing.

* * *

The humid climate caused daily rains in all areas near the forest. Relena watched the rain from the window of the car as Al', that's what he had told her to call him, drove them to a nearby reserve. He had said they wouldn't be walking more than two hours, enough time for them to get to what their guide called "the best sight-seeing spot" and back, stopping for a quick snack on the way.

Heero sat quietly, watching the scenery. He felt completely left out. He was out of his depths here, differently from Guilherme who answered all of Relena's questions, telling her more about the history of the estate and the country. She had always loved History, and her eyes would not leave his face while he told her about someone called _Tiradentes_ whom, he said, was considered a hero of Brazil's independence. For all those reasons Heero was more than relieved when they finally arrived.

"Wow…" was all Relena could say, looking around.

The forest stretched ahead of them, it looked dark and endless. The path they had to follow was anything but obvious, still Guilherme quickly spotted it and gestured for them go after him. Backpacks ready, they took a deep breath and walked into the forest.

Forty-five minutes later they arrived at the mentioned spot. The view really was breath-taking. They were in some kind of clearing, with the light of the sun sneaking between the leaves, warm and golden. While basking in all the nature they enjoyed their snack.

"I wished we could spend the night here… The air is a lot cooler than in the hotel even with the air conditioner on." Relena commented before biting her sandwich.

"At least you have an air conditioner."

"You don't?" she turned to him wide-eyed.

"No, yours is the only bedroom that does. You really got the best."

"Oh, my God… Al', did you sleep at all last night?" she sounded genuinely concerned. Heero rolled his eyes, he could see behind the man's plan. "I don't know about you, but I can't sleep well if I'm all sweaty."

"Well… Let's say that I slept as well as I could."

"I'm sure we can arrange a small mattress for you to sleep in our bedroom."

"What?" Heero practically choked on the water he had been drinking. "You can't be seriously considering that, Relena." He used her real name for emphasis.

"Why not? We're not really a couple, and Al' knows that." Her mind was made up. She had made a promise to herself, to help whomever it may be whenever and however she could. Relena did not break her promises.

"I'm very grateful, , but I don't think that's…"

"It's only for a couple nights, Al'. I don't see what the problem is."

"The problem is that I don't want him in our bedroom." Heero cut in, irritated.

"Can we discuss that later?" she asked politely and stood, walking away to get their abandoned bags.

"At least now you sound like a real couple." Guilherme joked, but all he got was yet another glare.

After picking up the trash and stuffing it in the bags so that they could throw it in the appropriate place, they started making their way back to the car. They hadn't been walking for more than ten minutes when the Brazilian man stopped, he searched in his bag but something seemed to be missing.

"I think I lost my watch…"

"Was it valuable?"

"Yes, it was my father's." he frowned looking over his shoulder and then back to them. "I'll go back to the clearing and see if I can find it. You guys can go on ahead and I'll catch up with you soon."

They watched him quietly until he had disappeared behind the many lines of tress. The sun was descending slowly but steadily and the approaching darkness was especially scary in the middle of the forest. Relena stepped closer to Heero as they restarted walking.

It grew darker and darker as they went. Suddenly, the bottom half of the sun was no longer visible, but as much as they walked they saw neither the car nor their guide.

"I think we've already been here…"

"We're walking in circles." Heero ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.

"We're lost." Relena turned to him with a not so well controlled desperation in her eyes. "What are we going to do?"

"Sit and wait." He did just that, watching as she squinted her eyes to try and find something helpful in the dusk. When she didn't see anything but silhouettes, she gave up and sat beside him. "You did say you wanted to spend the night here."

She glared at him.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Thanks everybody for the reviews I've received so far. I hope you'll tell me if you dislike something about the story, if it's too fast, too slow, the plot sucks, etc. Though I'd rather hear that it is good enough. LOL


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Crickets, night birds and the usual forest sounds were all they could hear in the total darkness. Heero had refused to light a fire, arguing that they were in a reserve and they might get arrested if someone saw them, whether they were lost or not wouldn't matter then. But the darkness was starting to scare Relena. Every little sound seemed so loud and so close, she would turn her head quickly, sure that she would spot something but she could distinguish nothing and her fear only grew.

"Heero?" she whispered. "Where are you?"

"I'm right beside you."

She couldn't even hear him breathe. "Could you, please, come closer?"

He recognized the fear and uncertainty in her voice and obeyed. He couldn't see much of anything himself, but he had a good notion of where he was and where she was. Soon he was sitting so close their shoulders touched. Relena exhaled a long held breath.

"Better?" he asked and felt her hand brush against his knee. Without thinking, he took it in his own. "Relena?"

"I'm alright. I just…" she took a deep shuddering breath, squeezing his hand. "Thank you."

"You know we have flashlights in our backpacks…"

"I know." She smiled though he couldn't see it. "We should save energy."

He agreed. He didn't know much about the local fauna, but he was sure they would need the flashlights if an unknown noise was heard. Time seemed to pass more slowly than ever as they listened quietly to the sounds of nature. Heero could sense Relena's restlessness, so he wasn't surprised when she broke the silence.

"You think Al' will find us?"

"I doubt he'll even try." He snorted.

"Why are you so bitter when it comes to him?"

"I'm not bitter. I just don't trust him."

"Why not? He's been so nice to us." She sounded disappointed.

"Too nice in fact." He waited for her to protest, but even though she didn't he knew she still didn't agree with him. He sighed. "Don't you see he's trying to impress you? To win your trust at all cost?"

"Isn't that just natural, considering he's here to protect me?"

"If he really is here to protect you then he should do that and stop playing around."

"You're angry just because he brought us here."

"Of course I'm angry! If he hadn't brought us here, we wouldn't be lost right now and you wouldn't be scared."

"I'm not scared!"

"Good. Can I go back to where I was, then?"

She immediately seized his arm. "Don't do that, Heero. Please…"

Again, he sighed. He realized he'd been doing that a lot lately. "What do you want me to do?"

"Give him a chance. He's just trying to be nice."

"I'll try."

"Thank you." She smiled again and allowed herself to lean a little more against his shoulder, comfortable in his reassuring presence.

* * *

It was almost ten o'clock and the sun was already high in the sky when a group of firemen followed by a breathless and sleep deprived Guilherme. He looked genuinely relieved when he saw them, and for a second Heero considered really giving him a chance, but that was before the Brazilian man hugged Relena. It surely looked a lot more intimate than the way they had held hands the previous night.

The drive back to the hotel was even more of a torture. Relena, at Guilherme's request, told the entire tale of how they had ended up lost and how frightening their night had been. Heero just felt like it had been his fault they had gotten lost, it had been his mistake and she was making a fuss of it. He knew she didn't think of the whole thing as being his fault and probably didn't even consider he might (he had told her it was Guilherme's fault), she just wanted to amuse her new friend.

Back at the hotel, the owner and two young women waited for them. They were received with hugs and words they didn't understand. Guilherme chuckled at the scene and told them everybody had been worried.

A generous meal was served, during which very little was said, and then, truly relieved, they went back to their bedroom. Guilherme told them to rest, that he would be making sure the story of their little adventure didn't end up in the press, and they would see each other again at dinner. Relena dismissed him with a peck on the cheek. Heero barely forced himself to nod.

"Are you really trying?" she asked when he had closed the door.

"I'm trying, Relena, but he doesn't make things easy." He walked straight into the bathroom, not wanting to discuss that.

She watched him go, wondering what exactly their guide had done to upset him this time. It was obvious that Heero didn't like the guy, but he was being so nice. Relena didn't understand how a person could be too nice. Did he mean that Al' was interested in her as more than just a friend? She could guess Heero had thought that would spoil their mission, but she didn't necessarily agree with him. A handsome Latin man interested in her… She had to know if it was true, she could already feel her self-esteem growing.

"Relena?" the look in his eyes made her blush, it was as if he could read her thoughts.

"I'm sorry. Did you say something?"

"Here." He handed her a gun.

"What…?"

"I made you a promise." He took her hand gently and placed the weapon in it. "Now, you make me one."

"Heero, I…" she looked deep into his eyes, there was a calm seriousness about them that made chills run down her spine. "I can't…"

"You've used one before, so you know how it works."

"I really…" she started shaking her head but had to stop the moment their eyes met again.

"I would feel less preoccupied if you carried it."

Finally, not trusting her voice under that gaze, she nodded. The metal was cold and heavy in her unaccustomed hand, but she did remember that feeling of power. She understood what Heero meant by giving her that gun, and a smile twisted her lips.

When her reverie was over, she risked looking back up and caught him off guard, studying her attentively. Her smile widened as she placed the gun on her bedside table and headed into the bathroom. She knew she would spend a long time wondering if she had really seen Heero blush or if she had only imagined the whole thing.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **It seems to me Relena is slowly growing confused about feelings she doesn't even realize she has. The next chapter is almost ready, but suggestions and ideas are still welcome. My thanks to all those who reviewed and all those who are reading my work.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The morning of the following day found them already on the road. Relena had felt a little sad having to say goodbye, or rather _adeus_,to her newest friends so soon, but both Heero and Guilherme had made it very clear that they had a tight schedule that could not be disobeyed and that she might be in danger if they stayed too long at the same place. She had to agree with them and she also decided travelling was a good opportunity for her to continue working.

"Don't you get sick reading and typing in the car like that?" Guilherme asked looking at her through the rear-view mirror.

"I got used to it after all these years."

"And how's your work going?"

"Perhaps I could show you if you sat back here with me."

"Well… Would you like to drive, Heero? You can turn on the GPS or just follow the signs where it reads São Luís. S-Ã-O L-U-Í-S."

"I'm not stupid, de Almeida."

Guilherme laughed as he pulled up, he imagined the former gundam pilot must have had a hard time learning his surname only so that he need not call him by his first name and give the Brazilian the intimacy he seemed to already think they had.

They changed places and even though Heero didn't like the fact that those two were sitting side by side, he was happy to have a steering wheel in his hands, he felt more comfortable. Through the rear-view mirror he watched as Guilherme leaned closer to Relena while she pointed at the screen and explained her work to him.

"… and that's what we're currently waiting for." She finished. "What do you think?"

"I think…" he lowered his voice. "businesswomen are hot."

Relena blushed, a pleased smile forming on her face. "I heard Brazilian guys were really attractive."

"Just heard? I thought you would've your own opinion formed by now."

"Maybe I do."

"And what is it?"

"It's…" she looked up for a second and her eyes met Heero's in the mirror. He frowned, and she couldn't do it. "I don't think you want to know, Al'."

"Is it that bad?"

She gave him an enigmatic smile. "I think you should go back to the front seat and help Heero. You're our GPS."

"GPS, huh?" he wasn't angry, he sounded amused, but that was because he was the only one who had seen what had truly happened there.

* * *

They stopped at a small motel to have dinner and spend the night. While Guilherme checked them in, Heero and Relena stood by the car admiring their surroundings. It felt like they were in the middle of nowhere.

"I sent my representative the proposal yesterday." She commented trying to start a conversation, but he seemed to be verbally avoiding her. "It is sure to be approved."

"Hn."

She fidgeted, looking from her feet to the sky and then back at him. They had to talk while Guilherme wasn't around, it might be their only chance.

"Are you going to tell me why you're upset?"

"I'm not upset."

"Angry then."

"Are you trying to sabotage the mission? Didn't you hear anything I said?"

"I'm not trying to sabotage the mission! I'm not even thinking about the mission."

"Exactly!" he threw up his hands in frustration.

"And what do you want me to do?" she felt frustrated too, to him she was always wrong and nothing she did seemed to be enough.

"Stop flirting with him."

"It wasn't flirting. We were just joking."

"Does he know you were _just joking_?" he raised his eyebrows, knowing he had struck a point.

"I don't know, okay?"

"Another good reason for you to stop. If you two get involved…"

"I know. I know! It's all for the sake of the mission." She glared at him, breathless after her outburst, and made her best to regain control. "That's all you ever think about."

He watched shocked as she stomped towards the motel almost bumping into Guilherme who was on his way back to the car. The Brazilian man stopped, turning around in time to see her disappear inside the old house. When he resumed walking, he was no longer smiling but obviously surprised and puzzled.

"I don't know what you told her but I think she hates me now."

"It is me she's mad at. No need for you to worry." Heero snorted. Of all the things he needed to do comforting a grown-up man was certainly not on the list.

He grabbed his and Relena's bags and headed to the motel, followed closely by Guilherme. Relena waited for them at the hall, she avoided looking at him at all costs, and Heero knew he'd sleep on the floor that night.

* * *

The following morning their journey restarted early and quietly. Guilherme constantly tried to lighten the atmosphere, making comments about the road, the locals or the vegetation. Relena sometimes pretended to be interested, but she was unable to do it for long and the silence returned even heavier. Heero said nothing.

While they ate their lunch in a truck stop and while they bought snacks at the gas station the silence persisted and though Guilherme was starting to feel extremely uncomfortable the sad look on Relena's face and the unfriendly glares Heero sent his way made sure he didn't say a word.

He knew the story of those two. There was no one in Preventers that hadn't heard of Heero Yuy, and Relena Darlian, the lost child of the Peacecrafts, was a legend herself. The files he had received, when he had been given the mission, explained the connection between the best Prevents' agent and the young Foreign Minister but it had never mentioned the depths of their feelings for one another, though Guilherme figured that may be because those two didn't know it themselves.

With this brand new piece of information in hand, he felt somewhat more powerful. Now, all he needed to do was figure out what to do with it. Thankfully, the long and silent drive ahead seemed to give him more than enough time to think.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **A little glimpse at Guilherme's true self. I have to admit the man's still a mystery even to myself... Next chapter is on its way. Again, suggestions and critiques are welcome. The real action will be starting soon I hope. Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The complete drive from Manaus to São Luís took a total of forty-three hours. In two days they had covered two thirds of the way. They all agreed it wasn't safe to drive all night straight, even if they alternated behind the steering wheel, so they stopped in the small town of Itupiranga, in the estate of Pará, and secured two bedrooms at the local hotel.

Relena sat on the bed, staring at the closed bathroom door and simply dreading the moment when Heero would walk through it and subject them both to the awkwardness of silence once again. She wasn't sure they would be able to avoid each other, being confined to that little bedroom. A part of her even hoped he would start a conversation, but she knew him better than that.

When the door finally opened, she had turned on her laptop and was trying to distract herself by checking her e-mail. Heero didn't say anything, he sat on the other side of the bed and pulled his bag closer so he could check his weapons and ammunition.

"I can't believe it…" Relena said to herself suddenly.

He looked at her over his shoulder. She was staring at the screen with a disbelieving look on her face and slowly shaking her head as if in denial. Feeling slightly more concerned than he probably should, he closed his bag and turned to her. "What?"

"My proposal…" she frowned, never ceasing to shake her head. "it was turned down."

"The one you mentioned yesterday?"

"Yes. My representative says the opposition seemed to have all the right arguments already prepared… 'It was as if they had known all the arguments we would use even before we opened our mouths.' She says. It has to be a coincidence…"

"I don't really believe in coincidences, Relena. At least not in such cases."

"You think my computer was invaded?"

"Your computer is under Preventers' protection, as well as your representative's, it would be impossible for just anyone to hack into it."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I was one of the people involved in the development of Preventers' Computer Security System."

"So… You think someone must have accessed our computers not from another machine but straight from our own?"

"No doubt that would make things easier but still… It would take someone with special training."

"Then what are we going to do?"

"I'll try to contact someone at headquarters. Une preferably. This has to be thoroughly investigated." He accepted the laptop she was offering him.

"Heero?"

"Hm?"

"You think… Is it possible that it was someone here in Brazil?" her voice rarely faltered, and it made him worry.

"We are not in immediate danger. Don't worry."

"Maybe I should tell Al'…"

"Don't! We cannot trust him, Relena."

She looked down at her hands. It felt horrible not being able to trust anyone, being always suspicious of everyone and anyone. She wondered if that was how Heero felt, how he had felt his entire life. It made sense now that he preferred being on his own, but it was so lonely. Relena knew she would rather trust and end up heartbroken than be always safe yet alone.

"Do you trust me?" she asked quietly. His hands froze.

"Why?" it was barely a whisper but his confusion was obvious.

"Because you can. You can trust me, Heero."

"I…" he searched her eyes for an answer but found nothing, so he simply shook his head and resumed typing.

"I trust you."

"Should you?"

"What? Why not?"

"In the current circumstances, I would advise you not to trust anyone. Not even me. You can never be too sure, Relena." He frowned. "It isn't working."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing, as far as I know. They may have disabled the communication for safety reasons." Heero gave the laptop back to her. "Save your future works only in your pen drive and keep it safe. Just in case."

He stood, dragging his bag back to the corner and stretching. This invasion seemed to be serious enough for him to be significantly worried, but the only thing he could think of were Relena's words. _Do you trust me? You can trust me, Heero. _He wasn't so sure… He didn't even know what it meant to trust someone.

"Heero?" she interrupted his thoughts. "Are we… Are we okay?"

"We're okay." He nodded, grateful that she hadn't made any more complicated questions. Her smile lit up the room.

* * *

At eight PM the following the day, they arrived in São Luís. After almost twelve hours on the road, they were all exhausted but they still had a plane to catch, so they drove straight to the airport. Relena lamented not being able to see the city under the light of day but she missed civilization, the noise and the restlessness of big cities and she couldn't wait to arrive in São Paulo.

She was happy Heero and her were okay, but something still bothered her, something she couldn't name. If only she could have a time to herself, away from her two protectors, to analyse her feelings from a different perspective… Then she might be able to understand what was bothering her, find a solution and finally put her mind at ease.

"Tired?" Guilherme asked when the flight attendant had left them.

"I think we all are, Al'." she smiled at him.

"Yeah… I guess you're right. I'm going to go back to my seat and take a long nap." He waved at them and dropped down on his seat at the other side of the aisle.

"It's in Portuguese." Heero commented when she reached for the magazine in the pocket behind the front seat.

"It's okay. I'm just going to look at the pictures. I feel a little lost not watching the news for so many days… Don't you?"

"Yes, of course."

"Are you tired?"

"Isn't that what _he _asked us?"

"It is, but I didn't allow you to answer."

"Well, then… Yes, I am tired."

"I think we should probably sleep."

"I'd rather enjoy my _Guilhermeless_ time…" he was serious, so it surprised him when instead of complaining she started to laugh. It was a rich laugh, the kind that brought a smile to your face and made you feel lighter.

"Oh, come on, Leon. He's not that bad." She tried to defend the other man but couldn't really stop chuckling and it made her sound unconvincing.

"No one's bad in your eyes, Karen."

"I'm just glad you'll be watching over me while I sleep."

"Weren't you going to 'read' that magazine?"

"I think I'm too tired… I'll sleep a little first."

He still watched her for a long time after she had fallen asleep. He remembered her laugh so clearly and how exhilarating it had been, he really wanted to hear it again, he wanted to make her laugh and see her smile. But why? He couldn't understand where that reaction was coming from, perhaps he was more tired than he thought. If he wasn't mistaken something similar had happened on their first night in Brazil and all he had needed to solve it was a good night's sleep.

Deciding that it was better not to risk it he turned towards the window and closed his eyes.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I guess now they're both confused... I hope the story isn't progressing too slowly. The action and suspense and whatever else I can fit in will be starting soon. Thanks to all my readers and specially reviewers. Your support is very appreciated.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The sunlight slowly invaded the room as Heero opened the curtains, he watched the civilization outside, the noisy traffic, the tall buildings, and sighed, feeling more at home than ever since he left his flat with Wufei, that fateful night not too long ago. It was good to be in a more comfortable hotel for a change.

Relena stirred under the warm sunlight, moaning as she rolled lazily to the other side of the bed. He realized then, watching her wake up, that sleeping hadn't worked this time. The way he saw her had changed without his knowing and there was nothing he could do but try to understand it.

"Good morning." She smiled contently.

He cleared his throat, looking away. "Would you like me to order anything?"

"Oh, no. I'll eat at the restaurant like a normal person."

"If that's so then you better hurry, I'm afraid breakfast time is almost over."

"You're right." She stood up and walked into the bathroom. "Will you come down with me?"

"Not this time. I need to find a way to contact Preventers' headquarters."

"So I'll see you later?"

"I won't be long. Take the gun with you when you go down."

"It's okay. I'll invite Al' to come with me."

"Take it anyways and… be careful."

The concern in his voice touched her so that she didn't know what to say and when she finally thought of something he was already gone. She left the room not even ten minutes later and headed to Guilherme's across the hall, with the gun safely hidden in her purse.

"Al'? It's me, Karen." She said after knocking. "Are you up?"

"Yes! Yes! Coming." He shouted from the other side of the door. She still heard him stumble over something and swear in his mother tongue before emerging. "_Bom dia,_ Mrs.Müeller."

"_Bom dia_." She returned his smile, ignoring how weird her false name sounded. "Would you like to join me for breakfast?"

"Of course! Nothing like the company of a beautiful lady."

They found the buffet almost empty but the manager himself received them and told them to order whatever they wanted if it was already over. Relena thanked him and complimented his English before filling her plate and following Guilherme to the nearest table.

"I'm glad you and Leon are okay again."

"Me too. I felt really awful not talking to him."

He smiled and bit his bread. "He means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

"Yes, I guess he does." She smiled fondly, looking down as if contemplating what she had just said.

"Have you told him?"

"What?"

"Your feelings. Have you told him?"

"I… Al', what are you talking about?"

"Come on, girl. It's obvious that you're in love with him."

"Love him? No, Al'. He and I are just friends." She managed a small smile but deep down she felt nervous and somewhat disappointed. She didn't understand it.

"I'm sorry, 'Lena." He took her hand in his, but not before he had looked around to make sure they were alone. "I know what it feels like to love someone who doesn't return the feeling."

"Al'…" she tried but he seemed almost hypnotised and she couldn't interrupt.

"I'm here for you."

She realized then just how close he was, but it was too late. Suddenly, his lips were on hers, his hand held her neck and his knees brushed against hers. Her shock was so great she could only sit there trying to figure out what to do.

* * *

Heero couldn't take his eyes off that scene. His chest felt painfully tight and his heart was beating so fast… He thought he would suffocate. Before he knew it he was walking away and out of the hotel.

The loud sounds of the traffic mixed with his conflicting thoughts, and for two squares he practically ran in an attempt to clear his mind. Finally, he found a small park with a couple benches and a playground. He sat down and took deep, even breaths as he tried to rationalize his problem.

It had all started that night in her mansion… He could remember how he had felt when he had seen her so shaken by all that had happened. He had reached out to her with his heart and soul, he hadn't known what words to use. Since then he had grown fascinated by her, by her smile, her laugh and even her glares. He found himself treasuring the times spent with her, wanting to touch her and to make her happy.

Then there was that intense feeling of anger he felt every time he watched her talk to Guilherme. It was something he had never felt before, a mixture of fear and rage that made him want to beat the life out of the Brazilian man. He had never been a person moved by his emotions that's why he had always believed he could follow them without a second thought. But then, all of a sudden, he was overwhelmed by emotions and he could no longer think.

How could he name that feeling? Was there even a name for it? Envy perhaps, he was envious of Guilherme, or maybe… No, it could not be… But deep down he knew it to be true. He was jealous and the reason he was jealous was because…

"Because I love her." He muttered. He wasn't surprised by that sudden realization. For some reason he felt as if he had always known.

Some children ran excitedly past him then, and, for some time, he was distracted by their playing and shouting. When he came back to himself he started wondering what he was supposed to do with that "new" feeling. Relena seemed to like Guilherme, and Heero didn't have any proof against him, no good reason to tell her to stay away from him. After almost one hour of hard thinking, he decided that it was better not to say anything and just concentrate on protecting Relena as he had always done.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I thought this chapter was a little cliché, but I guess every romance has its fair share. I know the story going at a slow pace, I can't wait to get to the real action myself, but I've got a plot that I need to follow, so I can only apologize and ask for patience. Thank you all for the reviews and especially for reading.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The sun was already high up in the sky when Heero decided to walk back to the hotel. He wasn't entirely sure he had sorted everything out, but he had given every detail, every little possibility a through thought and he had made what he believed were the best decisions. He would ignore his feelings, he was in a mission so he had to be professional, and as for Guilherme he couldn't put aside his suspicions. Especially not now as he saw the Brazilian man walk out of the hotel, look to both sides as if making sure he wasn't being followed and cross the street. Hiding behind a lamp post, Heero avoided being seen. He mixed with the crowds and made sure not to lose the man.

Guilherme didn't walk for long, he turned the corner, crossed yet another street and entered in a pharmacy. Thankfully the door was wide and open so Heero could easily watch him from across the street where he conveniently hid behind a telephone booth.

Inside the pharmacy, the Brazilian man exchanged words with another man while pretending to browsing the products. The unknown man discreetly passed him an envelope that Guilherme quickly shoved into his pocket before turning and leaving. He looked to all sides of the street when he left but saw no one suspicious, so he headed back to the hotel.

Heero waited for as long as he thought necessary before he followed, he didn't want that man with Relena anymore. He wondered how he would get a hold of that envelope, that was the one proof he needed to be sure Guilherme was conspiring against them and get him out of the case. He had to do it, their safety was at stake.

* * *

Relena pushed him away, protecting her lips with her hand. She shook her head slowly while searching for words. Guilherme waited patiently, there was a small smile on his lips that he just couldn't hide. It made her feel angry and she needed even more time to calm down. Finally, after a long silent minute, she spoke.

"What was that?"

"I'm sorry, I know I should've asked for your permission first."

"That's not what I… I mean, what is that supposed to mean?"

"Mean?" he seemed confused. "That I like you a lot and am here for you?"

"I don't think I want you to be there for me the way you mean it."

"As a friend, okay? No pressure!" he raised his hands in a sign of peace.

"If you say so…" she stood up a little too fast and had to grab the chair as her head spun. "Now, I think I need some alone time."

"Whatever you say." Guilherme smiled however forced, and she left.

She caught the elevator empty and sighed gratefully. Her mind was racing, there was so much to consider… Her probably stolen files, the possible danger they were in, the treat to her life, waiting for orders, they not being able to contact Preventers and now Guilherme's unexpected kiss. It was not as if she hadn't imagined kissing him, he was a very attractive man after all, but…. Something was so wrong with it all.

"Am I really in love with Heero?" she asked herself as she closed the door behind her and leaned on it. What had given Guilherme that impression?

Heero and her had known each other for almost ten years and they had always got on well. She had to admit they understood one another in a special way, it was a God given chemistry, a connection that invariably brought them together even after long periods of time apart. Did that mean their feelings ran deeper than friendship?

She lay on the bed thinking, analysing all possible signs. That was how Heero found her, one hour later, and she still hadn't discovered what exactly had convinced Guilherme that she was in love with the former gundam pilot. She wasn't even convinced herself.

"Any luck?" she asked him as he sat beside her.

"No. Apparently, Une is in the colonies and there was no one else trustworthy to talk to."

"So what are we going to do?"

"What can we do? We're isolated here with only that snob for communicator and who knows if he translates things correctly?"

"I'm worried too." Relena laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Their eyes met and he sighed. "I'll figure something out."

"I know you will." She smiled. "I'll do my best as well."

He stood up, pacing around the room in thought until the silence became uncomfortable. "How was your breakfast?"

"It was… okay."

"Hn." The pacing continued but he soon realized the solution to his problem was right in front of him. "I need your help."

"Really?" she sounded surprised and excited.

"Yes." He resumed his seat beside her. "Tonight, during dinner, I need you to distract Guilherme for me while I investigate something."

"Are you sure? I mean… I thought you were against my being friends with him."

"I _am _against you being friends with him. You are supposed to distract him, not… Whatever you thought I meant."

"I'm sorry, I didn't think you had meant anything different. I just… I know the perfect subject to distract him."

"Good." He nodded not really wanting to know what she was going to talk to Guilherme about.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Short chapter and I'm not particularly happy with it, but I promise the next will be better. Thanks everybody for reading and for all the reviews. If anyone else is wondering if there will be gundams... I think not. This fic takes place after the movie and it would be way too difficult to bring them back.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

The waiter brought their orders sooner than expected; they were discussing some Hollywood gossip Guilherme had read on the internet. Neither Heero nor Relena knew much about celebrities, both having little time to watch TV with their busy schedules, but it was a very generic topic so anyone could comment. Soon, Heero thought, they would be distracted enough for him to sneak out practically unnoticed.

"Celebrities' marriages never last…" Guilherme commented. "Which is a real pity because they make such beautiful couples."

"I know. They spend so much on those huge wedding parties…" Relena shook her head.

"But that's the only thing they like about getting married!"

"Don't say that. You have to like the person you're marrying at least a little."

"Yeah, I guess…"

"Excuse me." he finally stood up. "I'll be right back."

"Al'?" the young minister asked quickly. "We still need to talk about what happened this morning."

Heero walked towards the bathroom and changed directions at the last moment when he was sure the Brazilian man was distracted enough by Relena. He took the stairs instead of the elevator and opened Guilherme's bedroom's door with a lock pick. It was dark and messy inside, but he easily found the envelope lying on the bedside table. There was nothing written on it but inside he found a small note that he quickly copied on his notepad before putting everything back in its place.

In less than ten minutes he was back to the table. The subject had changed from celebrities to crime but, aside from that, things remained the same and his absence didn't seem to have been really noticed. The dinner progressed peacefully.

* * *

He sat at the desk and turned on the laptop. Relena was fast asleep, the light of the screen not bothering her. He pulled his notepad out of his pocket and read the message he had copied:

MUSEU DE ARTE DE SÃO PAULO – AMANHÃ - DUAS HORAS

It wasn't hard to suppose that "museu" meant museum, "arte" meant art and "horas" meant hours, but he needed to be sure. Soon "amanhã" had turned into tomorrow and "duas" had become two. He separated the words and reorganized them so that they made sense. What he came up with was:

MUSEUM OF ART OF SÃO PAULO – TOMORROW – TWO HOURS

Two hours obviously meant two o'clock. He searched the address, he would be there, and Guilherme would be debunked.

* * *

Relena watched quietly as he hid a gun behind his back and grabbed his wallet from the bedside table. She didn't say anything, not even when her curiosity started bothering her. He moved as if in a trance, completely concentrated on whatever he was doing or certainly going to do.

After a couple minutes, he stopped, fixing her with a thoughtful gaze. It was then she realized how much she had liked watching him while he was unaware, now that he was looking at her she felt embarrassed, even guilty for all the staring she had done. Her mother would have rebuked her for being impolite.

"I'm going out for a few hours." He said simply.

"Okay."

"I need you to stay here."

"I will." She assured him.

"No, Relena. I need you to stay _here_. Do not leave the bedroom." He was a lot more serious than usual, and it scared her.

"Why not?"

"Just don't." he grabbed his jacket and opened the door, adding as an afterthought. "And do not open the door to anyone."

"I won't."

With a short nod and one last serious look at her, he left. She felt lonely, but at the same time she felt like she was being watched. Heero had really managed to scare her. She checked the door to make sure it was locked, closed the curtains and the bathroom door as well. Finally feeling safer, she sat on the bed with her laptop and tried to distract herself… It worked.

When Relena looked at the clock again, almost two hours had passed and she was starting to feel hungry, she wondered if Heero would be mad at her if she called room service. Calling room service implied opening the door and he had told her not to. Another look at the clock and she decided against it. Heero should be back soon.

That was when she heard a knock at the door. She felt scared again, her heart sped up, and she wondered if she should answer or pretend she wasn't there. What would Heero do? Or rather, what would he want her to do?

"Karen? It's me, Al'. Can I come in?"

"Al'? I…" she looked around the room, searching for an excuse. "I'm not feeling very well. Could you come later?"

"Are you sure? If you want I can buy some aspirin or tylenol or whatever."

"No, no. I'll be fine. Thanks."

"I could take care of you…" he offered, his voice almost pleading. She felt disgusted and strangely afraid. "Open the door…"

"I'm sorry, Al', but I don't think I can make it on my feet right now…"

"That's too bad." He whined.

Then there was silence. Relena sighed, relieved. Guilherme had scared her just as much as Heero, but in a worse way, or maybe Heero had scared her way more than she had realized. She willed her heart to slow down and reopened the internet page she had been reading.

"Ops!"

"What… How?" she stared at the open door and the man standing there, flabbergasted.

"It was open." Guilherme smiled at her, moving the door to emphasize his point.

"No, it was not, Al'. Heero locked it. I checked."

"What can I say? I've been trained to enter where no one else can."

"Al', if this is a joke…" she slowly backed away from him until she had reached the edge of the mattress. "It's not funny."

"Well… I'm tired of playing." He closed the door and pulled a gun from behind his back. Her thoughts raced to her own, which was in her purse on the bedside table, but he was faster. "Don't even think about it."

"What are you going to do?" she asked in a mere whisper. "Are you going to kill me? Because I didn't stop working? Are you here to carry out the threat?"

Guilherme chuckled. "No, I'm not going to kill you. I only want you to sit down at that desk." He waited but she seemed to be paralyzed staring at the gun he was pointing at her. "I'm not asking, 'Lena."

With shaky legs she moved towards the desk. Thankfully, she reached it before falling. He didn't move, but an arrogant little smile was playing at his lips. She didn't see it, she was fighting back tears.

"And now…" he sat on the bed. "We wait. He should be back soon."

* * *

Heero had been standing at the museum's hall for one hour and still no signs of Guilherme or the other man. He gave up and had just stepped out when a young man approached him, the uniform he wore indicated that he worked in a nearby hotel, he extended an envelope.

"_Senhor _Yuy?" he asked.

"Yes." Heero accepted the envelope and dismissed the man. The short message inside read:

_OLÁ_, HEERO. IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN, YOU BETTER RUN.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I had two completely different ideas for this chapter, both leading to the same crucial point which was Guilherme pointing a gun at Relena and Heero running back to save her. Only yesterday, when I already had the whole thing typed and revised, did I start thinking that my second idea was better... I feel really lame right now, but I hope you liked this at least a little anyways. Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

As he ran up the stairs he felt something he had for a long time believed himself unable to… fear. He reprimanded himself again and again for being so foolish, allowing his feelings to control him and acting unthinkingly. He deserved to lose her, but he wouldn't let her die. No, he couldn't imagine living in a world without Relena, she was the reason why he defended peace, if not for her he might even have been helping this anti-peace group that was pursuing them.

He kicked the door open, it was not the time to be civilized. Guilherme was sitting on the bed, his gun pointed at Relena who looked tense but collected. She stood up when he came in, but sat back down at Guilherme's unfriendly look. Heero closed the door and waited, one hand ready to reach for the gun in his back.

"You look worn out. Did you run all the way here?"

"What do you want, de Almeida?"

"Okay, let's go straight to the point then. It was a stupid question anyways…" he stood up and walked towards the young minister. "I want you… dead. You're the only obstacle between Relena and our organization."

"Your _organization_?"

"Well, I shouldn't tell you anything… But, since you'll be dead soon, I guess I'll amuse you." Guilherme smiled and gestured to the bed with his head. "Sit down. Oh, and give me your gun."

Heero grit his teeth, he had to play along until he decided what to do and, if he survived, he may even get away with some useful information. He watched the other man examine his gun before leaving it on the desk. Relena looked as afraid of it as of the gun that was being pointed at her.

"We are all over… even inside Preventers. As a matter of fact, Lady Une has little power right now. Theoretically, she may be the one behind Preventers, but the truth is we've already taken over."

"So all this travelling was for nothing?"

"For one moment we did lose you… Remember how secretive the whole thing was at the beginning? But then Une assigned me as your guide and…"

"You blocked our communicator..."

"Yes, but you were daring enough to use a _lan house_'s computer to contact Preventers*. We were lucky Une had left to the colonies, not that she could've done much but…"

"You stole my proposal!" Relena accused him suddenly.

"It was necessary, 'Lena. I'm sorry."

"Don't call me that. You have no right."

"I can do anything I want, _'Lena_. I am the one with the gun." Guilherme was finally losing his patience, he turned his aim to Heero. "It'll be better this way. You would never be able to get away from us… All your weapons, money, transport, communication, fake ID's are provided by us."

"Al', please…" Relena touched his arm with shaky hands. "Let him go. I promise I'll come with you."

"It really is a pity that I cannot accept, but we both know he'll come after us if I let him live." He said, serious and turned back to his target.

She saw his finger hovering over the trigger, her heart was so loud in her ears she could barely hear her own thoughts, her eyes fell on the gun Guilherme had laid on the desk. Heero's eyes met hers, and she knew what to do. She grabbed the gun pointed it upwards and fired.

Heero saw the Brazilian man turn around surprised and immediately jumped on him, grabbing his wrist to prevent him from shooting. He hooked his leg around Guilherme's and the two fell on the floor, with the impact the Brazilian man dropped the gun. Heero launched himself at it, but the other agent pulled him back before he was able to reach it and pinned him to the ground, hands tight around his neck.

Relena kicked and punched Guilherme's back as strongly as she could. He turned to push her away, but she stepped back and he lost balance. Heero used the opportunity to kick the other man off him. The man's head hit the side of the desk and he fell, unconscious.

It took Heero some time to catch his breath. Relena had fallen on her knees, unable to support her weight any longer, her eyes met his and she looked about to say something but her voice wouldn't come out. He shook himself out of his self-made trance and stood up, quickly grabbing the weapons around the room and throwing them in a bag together with clothes and everything else he thought necessary. They had to get away before Guilherme woke up.

"Come." He told Relena as he held the door open.

"I can't… I can't move my legs." She sounded almost desperate.

He rearranged the bag on his shoulder and knelled beside her, looking straight into her eyes as if trying to see her soul. "Relena, listen to me. You can move, just do it." He stood and offered her his hand. "Come."

She had no words, a lonely tear ran down her face, but she nodded and took his hand, allowing him to pull her out of the room, then the hotel and into the first cab they spied.

* * *

"What are we going to do?" Relena asked as they sat close to the arrival's gate in the airport. "We can't contact Preventers, can we?"

"No. We can't trust anyone, not even Une. I believe what Guilherme said about Preventers being in the hands of his organization, but as for the rest…"

"What about Duo and Wufei and… What was his name? Trowa. What about them?"

"They work in Preventers so they're out of question."

"But you fought side by side!"

"Doesn't mean anything." He eyed her sternly, and she closed her mouth before continuing her protest. "Now… A plane coming from the US has just arrived. The passengers should speak English so make sure to get us a cell phone, do whatever you need, pay them… anything."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm buying us tickets. We should leave the country just to be sure."

"Okay… But who are you going to call?"

"Go, Relena. The passengers are starting to come out."

She couldn't help smiling as she walked towards the people that arrived, she felt happy despite all that had happened, she was with Heero and not only that but he needed her to help him. She wouldn't disappoint him.

A young woman, who was coming home after studying English abroad, sold them her cell phone without many questions, she seemed even happy to get rid of it or, as Relena preferred to believe, she was just very happy to be back home.

"So…" she leaned over Heero's shoulder as he turned on the phone. "Who are you calling?"

"The only person we can trust in a situation as this and also the only one that can help us." He dialled the number and pressed the call button. "Quatre."

"Winner?" she asked surprised, though she instantly realized that it made perfect sense. Quatre was neither as loud as Duo nor as quiet as Trowa or Wufei, he had just the right personality to be good friends with Heero.

"Quatre? It's Heero." There was a pause. "Yes, I'm fine. Listen, I need your help but I can't explain right now. Relena and I are on our way to Buenos Aires, I need you to arrange us new ID's and money. I'll pay you back as soon as I can, of course." Another pause, this one a lot longer. "Good. We'll see you there then."

"Will he help us?" Relena asked when he had hung up.

"Yes, he'll meet us there tomorrow night. He's in New York for a company meeting."

"Oh… I guess we should get going then."

"Hn." He nodded and handed her the phone. "Get rid of it."

"But we just bought it!"

"There's nothing we can do about it."

"Alright." She opened the cell phone, pulled out the microchip and threw each in a different dumpster. "Argentina, here we go!"

_* A Lan House is a place where you pay to use computers and internet for a certain amount of time, the more you pay the longer you can stay. It's common in Brazil becauset a huge part of the population cannot afford to have a computer and internet at home._

_

* * *

_

**Author's Notes: **Finally a chapter with a little more action. Thanks everybody for reading and for the reviews, I'm really happy you're all liking the story.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

After a long day of sight-seeing, they found themselves sitting at the hall of a five stars hotel, waiting for Quatre to arrive. If the blonde didn't appear they would have to spend the night wandering the streets, they had little money left.

Heero watched the young minister, quietly. He had caught her staring at him many times in the last couple days, sometimes she looked intrigued others thoughtful, but mostly she turned away the moment she met his eye, looking either guilty or embarrassed. He worried the episode with Guilherme might have affected her a lot more than she let on, but still he hadn't had the mind or the guts to talk to her about it just yet.

She turned to him with a smile, suddenly, and pointed to the door. Quatre had walked in, followed by his personal secretary. The manager had apparently been waiting for him, a short nervous man who wriggled his hands non-stop as he spoke to the young businessman. They talked for a couple minutes before Quatre finally approached his friends with a genuine smile, leaving his secretary to take care of the reservations.

"It is so good to see you, guys! You have no idea."

"It is really a blessing to see a familiar face so far from home." Relena returned his smile with one of her own.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to continue this conversation in the pent house. I haven't had dinner yet and am starving. I know it's late, but you may join me if you want."

"We'd love to. Thank you."

The manager himself guided them to the pent house, the meal arrived less than twenty minutes later and they sat at the small table by the window enjoying the food and the view. Heero could see the tension leaving Relena, he blamed himself for having denied her the luxuries and comfort that she was used to, but with the quantity of money they had been given he couldn't do any miracles.

"So…" Quatre folded his napkin and placed it beside his now empty plate. "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"To make it short… Preventers is now an anti-peace organization and its agents are hunting us."

"Wow… You make it sound like an everyday thing." He chuckled. "I brought your new IDs and clothes and all. Tomorrow, my private plane will be ready to take us back to the desert. I think you should be safe there, at least for some time or until you can figure out what to do."

"Safe…" Heero couldn't help sighing; the last days had exhausted him.

"You two have been through a lot, haven't you?"

"We had a couple hold-ups, that's all."

"All?" they turned to Relena who was shaking her head in disbelief. "You almost died, Heero! Don't treat it like it's nothing."

Before any of them could say a single word, she was gone. Quatre turned to Heero with a sympathetic look on his face; the former wing pilot seemed confused, unsure of what had caused Relena to leave and even more unsure of what he should do.

"You should talk to her."

"I know." He stood up.

"Take this with you. It has your disguises and documents in it."

"Thank you, Quatre… for everything."

"We have to spend more time together." The blonde smiled.

"When this is all over." Heero promised him and left, he still had to find his and Relena's rooms and then he had to do something he wasn't good at all at… He'd have to comfort her, with words.

* * *

He stood in front of her door, which was right across from his. He wasn't sure whether he was relieved or upset that they had different rooms, but he couldn't really think about it at the moment. He shifted from one foot to the other, took a deep breath and knocked. No answer came, he wondered if she could be sleeping, he actually wanted her to be, but he knew he wouldn't be able to avoid that talk forever so he cleared his throat and knocked again.

"It's me." He couldn't say his name or hers; there they were not Heero and Relena but other people he still hadn't had the time to read about. "I brought clothes."

"It's open." She said barely audibly.

She was in the bedroom, sitting on the bed, just sitting, there was no sign of the laptop or the novel he had seen her with a couple times. Heero knew immediately that something was wrong. He gathered all his strength, walked in and sat on the edge of the mattress, his back to her and the bag Quatre had sent beside him.

"I…" his voice failed him, his throat was painfully dry. "I'm sorry, if I said something that upset you."

"It's not your fault, Heero. I just… I mean… I was there, watching Guilherme as he threatened to kill you and I…" she had to pause when she choked on her tears. "I was so scared… There was nothing I could do…" her body shook with sobs as she revived, in a few seconds, the things that had happened, the things she had felt. "I'm so sorry."

Heero pulled her to him. She hugged him so tightly he thought he wouldn't be able to breathe. The ache in his throat had worsened and his eyes burned, he had to rescue the memories of his training years to be able to regain control. Thankfully, the sweet smell of her perfume helped calm him enough that he was able to pull away and meet her red-rimmed eyes.

"You saved me, Relena. You saved me then, you saved me during the wars… You're saving me right now. Every day you save me from myself."

"Thank you." She whispered against his neck, touched by the passion she heard in his words. She tightened her hold on him, and Guilherme's words came rushing back to her, making her smile. He was right, she was in love with Heero.

"Relena?" he asked after some time, afraid that she might have fallen asleep. "It's getting late and we're going to have a long day tomorrow… We should probably start reading those papers."

"You're right." She pulled away, brushing away the remaining tears, and smiled up at him.

He avoided her eyes, they looked a lot sweeter all of a sudden, and he just knew that he had revealed another human side of himself to her, changing even more the way she saw him. To distract himself from his own regretting thoughts, he opened the bag and dropped its contents on the bed.

"I have a moustache…" he held the fury line in front of his eyes and raised an eyebrow. Relena giggled.

"It says here," she waved the paper in front of him. "that you're an art collector."

"Really?" he asked mockingly. "And you're what?"

"I am…" she turned the paper over, searching for the information. "The daughter of your deceased wife." Heero snorted, how much worse could it possibly get? "We are Italian and our names are Giuliano and Carolina Caravaggio."

"So you have my surname?"

"Yes, that's what it says here."

"Quatre really over did it this time…"

"He surely has a great imagination." She laughed. "You know what it sounds like? It sounds like we were lovers and I convinced you to marry my mother so that we could get our hands on her money. Then we killed her so she wouldn't be in our way."

"It looks like Quatre isn't the only one with an imagination." He commented as he stood up. "Now, I'll take my disguise and my documents and I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"_Buona notte_, father."

He still gave her an unfriendly look before he left, but inside he was smiling and they both knew it.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I simply love creating these crazy identities for them... I guess, at the end of the day, I am the one with an imagination. Thank you all for reading and reviewing!


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"_Buenos dias, Señor_ Winner. _Su avión está listo para salir_."

"_Muchas gracias_, Esteban." Quatre turned back to his friends, when the man was gone, and smiled. "We can board now. Ah, Heero? Before I forget… I hired a new pilot, he's good but young. Would you, please, give him some tips?"

"I guess I owe you as much."

"You owe me nothing, but thank you." He watched as his friend climbed up the stairs and into the plane. Beside him, Relena had a small smile on her lips, and he couldn't help noticing that she had been wearing it constantly since that morning. "Did something happen yesterday?"

"What?" she turned to him both confused and surprised. "Why?"

"Well… I can see you're happy and, since you and Heero had a talk last night, I thought something might have happened."

"Yes, as you said yourself, we talked."

"Just talked?" he pushed with a knowing look.

"Just talked." She looked up to the aircraft and smiled. When she turned back to Quatre the smile was still there. "I think I love him."

"Did you tell him?"

"God, no! How could I? He is so focused on his mission, so involved with his job…" her eyes went back to the plane as she spoke. "He'd hate me if I interfered."

"Or maybe he'd love you." He had expected her surprise, so he chuckled. "He's exhausted, Relena. He hasn't had vacations in like… forever. He needs someone to take care of him, to love him… Every man does."

"You really think so?"

"I do."

She kissed him on the cheek and whispered a quick "thank you", before running up the stairs and disappearing into the aircraft. Quatre smiled, turning to meet his secretary.

"Your friends will be travelling with us, sir?"

"Yes, Andrew. Mr. Caravaggio and his step-daughter will be staying at the manor for some time. Make sure to treat them well." He started climbing the stairs but remembered something and stopped, turning back to the secretary. "Did you send the message I asked you to?"

"Yes, sir. To Mr. de Almeida."

* * *

The Winner manor was located in an oasis, in the middle of nowhere. It had dozens of magnificent bedrooms, a huge ballroom and an even more spectacular dinning room. Relena immediately fell in love with it all, especially the view she had, of the apparently endless desert, from her bedroom window. Heero thought having a house so big was unnecessary, a waste of money, but he didn't say anything.

Quatre stayed with them for the first two days until he was called away on some kind of business. After his departure, the days seemed to start passing more slowly, they would sit together in the library for hours reading any interesting book they could find, sometimes they watched movies or walked under the few trees that surrounded the property.

It was during one of those walks that Heero spotted a suspicious man, he chased him though Relena claimed it had been a mirage. He couldn't find the man and didn't see him again, but both of them knew they wouldn't be staying there much longer.

"Pack your thing! We leave tonight."

"What?" Relena looked at him from above her laptop, confused. His sudden storming into the room had startled her. She moved slowly off the bed as he started to pack his own belongings. "What happened? I thought we were staying until the end of the week."

"_This _happened." He threw a paper ball at her.

"What's _this_?"

"It must have fallen out of the trash bin. I found it, by sheer chance, under the desk."

She opened the ball carefully, she didn't know if she was afraid of tearing the paper or of what it might contain. The message was written in big clear letters:

I'LL BE THERE AS SOON AS I CAN.

GDA

P.S.: I NEED WEAPONS.

"Oh, my God…" Relena dropped the paper, wide eyed, one hand pressed tightly against her open mouth. "You don't think the man you saw…"

"Yes, I think it was Guilherme, but what exactly his waiting for I cannot tell… Perhaps a better chance to kill us."

"But Quatre… I just can't believe he…"

"I told you we shouldn't trust anyone." He looked away from her, he hadn't followed his own advice. "I thought we were friends…"

"You still have me. Remember?" she hugged him, resting her cheek against his back, and realized how much she despised Quatre all of a sudden. Heero's trust was already so fragile… How would he ever be able to trust anyone if they kept betraying him?

She tightened her grip, as if trying to absorb his pain, and before she knew it the words had escaped her lips. Heero tensed, obviously shocked, but not as much as she. She pulled away, blushing furiously, and waited for his rejection. When he turned around, the shock had worn off, instead she saw surprise and confusion.

"You… love me?"

"I…" Relena paused, but decided that being honest was the only way to conquering his trust and that's what she wanted above all else. "I have… for a long time, but only recently did I realize it."

"What…" he looked at his feet for a second, unsure of what he was about to say. "What do you expect me to do?"

"What do I…" she blinked at him, that was most definitely not what she had thought he would say. "Nothing, really. I just wanted you to know."

He nodded, watching as she started packing. He felt a happiness way deeper than he had ever known and yet, at the same time, he dreaded those feelings because he knew they were the perfect tool to manipulate him and even Relena. Now, she needed his protection more than ever.

Taking a deep breath, he ignored his raging heart and resumed packing. He still had a mission to accomplish.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Thank you all for reading! I know you like the constant updates, but my classes start tomorrow and they may not be as constant anymore. I wanted to let you know. That's why I posted this chapter today and didn't take the usual time to revise it, so I apologize for any mistakes it may contain. Thanks again for the support!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

He threw the bags on the back seat, closed the door and took his place behind the steering wheel. Relena watched him, trying hard not to shout her nervousness out loud. Heero being so calm only seemed to bother her more and she desperately wanted to tell him to be faster. He programmed the GPS, searching for any place he could go from there but there was only desert, unmapped desert. They'd have to move blindly, if they were lucky enough they might find another oasis.

Suddenly, the door behind them opened and a flashlight illuminated the garage. "Who's there?" the security guard asked.

"He knows we're here!" Heero swore under his breath as he pushed the button that opened the garage door and quickly turned on the car.

"Stop!" the man yelled, attempting to run after them but before he had started they were speeding out of the garage.

"The fence!" Relena warned, seeing that the fence was quickly approaching them.

"We'll run over it."

"What?" she immediately hid her eyes with her hands. They were so fast and the wood of which the fence was made was so light, the barely felt the impact on the big armored car.

"Are you alright?"

"That was amazing!" Relena laughed, but instead of it tranquilizing him, Heero felt even more worried. That was unlike her, as far as he knew. "Look! A man!"

"Where?"

"By the trees!"

There really was a man there, the same one they had seen before. He was waving at them to stop, but Heero didn't even slow down. It didn't matter how dark it was, he would recognize that man anywhere.

"Stop! Stop right there! Stop!" he shouted as they drove by him, making no attempt to jump in front of the car or shoot it. Relena watched his silhouette disappear in the distance.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Heero asked, giving her a sideways look, before the silence settled.

"I think that was too much adrenaline for me…" she sighed, finally relaxing in her seat. "But it was fun."

He smiled, listening quietly until her breathing had evened out. It wasn't later than five and the sun had yet to rise, it made him envious that she could turn off her problems so easily and sleep. He could only forget his problems when he concentrated really hard on something, so he concentrated on driving.

* * *

"Will we ever get anywhere?"

"I don't know." He wasn't exactly angry, but she shut up and looked away anyways.

Another night was starting and they were both tired, they had brought enough food, fuel and water to last for a few days, but that didn't stop their still muscles from aching nor the usually comfortable silence from becoming heavy. It put them both in awful moods and, whenever they talked, they always seemed to end up fighting. They hated it and were more than grateful when, with the rising sun, they spotted what looked like an encampment in the distance.

"We are searching for the ruins of a nomad tribe's final home." The leader of the expedition, Henri, told them as he led them to their tent.

"Really? That's fascinating!" Relena was so obviously excited, Heero had to roll his eyes. He hadn't slept in more than twenty-four hours and felt more dead than alive.

"I see you like archeology, _mademoiselle_."

"Not so much archeology as history."

"You can accompany me later, if you'd like. I'm going to check on my men's work, it's not far from here."

"I'd be happy to." She smiled as they stopped in front of the tent.

"Good, that's very good! You get comfortable now, rest a little and we'll meet later."

"Okay, thank you."

The tent was small but they were both relatively thin and short so they could sit together and sleep quite comfortably. Heero practically collapsed as soon as they were in, he had a bad feeling about that place, that French man, but he couldn't think with his mind so tired.

Relena watched him sleep for sometime, wondering if he ever felt like complaining about anything. He could've asked her to drive, he was absolutely exhausted. She laid down beside him, so close in fact she could see her breath move his hair lightly. It was maddening, being so close and yet unable to touch him.

She studied his face more closely, he looked like not even an earthquake could awake him, and she decided to take some risks. If he woke up, he would either find her truly asleep or pretending to be, he wouldn't blame her, after all they couldn't control what they did whilst asleep… She took one deep breath and cuddled closer, waiting for sleep to take over her, with a content smile.

* * *

When Heero woke up his throat was dry and his back painful, but he barely felt them, all he felt was Relena's body against his. It wasn't an insinuating position, it was simply her forehead against his shoulder and her arms around his right one, but it sent his heart racing and his mind spinning. He admired her quietly, her smooth pale skin, her rosy lips and silky hair. It was almost impossible to resist, he ached to touch her, but carefully disentangled his arm and sat, reaching for a bottle of water.

"Isn't it warm?" Relena half asked, half yawned, slowly opening her eyes and stretching.

He didn't answer until he had downed the entire bottle. "Yes, it was warm."

"Were you really that thirsty? There's nothing I hate more than warm water, though I heard it may be good for the body." She said up and ran her fingers through her hair, combing it. "How long did I sleep?"

"About four hours. Are you going to visit the archeological site?"

"I think a good walk before dinner would be really nice."

"I guess you're right."

"Are you coming?"

"I don't like that man." He hid a gun behind his back and that was as much of an answer as he would give.

They didn't have difficulties finding Henri, and the French man was more than happy to lead them to the spot where the excavations were being made. All the digging had already created a depression and it was at the bottom of that big crater that Heero pulled his gun out of its hiding place and pointed it to the man's head.

"Who hired you?"

"You're fast, aren't you, boy?" Henri, who had his back to them, turned slowly around. "No one hired me. I'm my own boss."

"What's going on?" Relena finally gathered the courage to ask.

"He's got a gun." Heero gestured towards the weapon with his head, a small part of its butt was showing from under the man's shirt. "Take it."

She did as she was told, returning to Heero's side quickly. "But isn't it common for archeologists to carry guns?"

"Not that I'm aware of."

"Are you sure you're not overreacting?"

"I'm not overreacting!"

"He's not overreacting, Ms. Foreign Minister."

They turned around at that unknown voice. A man stood at the edge of the crater, staring down at them, gun in hand.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Of course they had to get in trouble again... My apologies for any mistakes, now that my free time is running out I think I should worry more about writing, typing and posting than revising. Thanks for reading and reviewing!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The metal of the gun reflected the sunlight as the stranger approached them, his smile was wide and confident. Relena grabbed Heero's arm immediately, she wondered who the man would shoot first… She wished he chose her, it was her fault they were there and she didn't think she could stand the pain of watching Heero die.

"Henri, take the guns and wait for me at the camp."

"Yes, sir." The French man took their hostages' guns and started making his way back.

"Then you are the one behind this?"

"Me?" the man laughed. "Oh, no. I follow orders, just as all the others."

"So who's the boss?" Relena asked possessed by a need to know just what kind of sick man was trying to have them killed.

"I'm not stupid enough to tell you. Now… I've already wasted too much time. You have a meeting with God and you shouldn't be late."

A report sounded. The man turned around, frowning deeply. He called his partner's name but there was no answer. When he turned back to his targets his eyes were nothing but accusing.

"We didn't do anything!" Relena blurted out.

"We couldn't have done anything from here." Heero added calmly.

"Whether you did something or not doesn't matter. It doesn't change the fact that you are going to die."

A second shot sounded, this one so close and so loud, Relena couldn't help closing her eyes and screaming. She was sure when she opened them she would find Heero lying in a pool of blood, but there was no such thing. The one lying on the ground was the stranger, he had been shot on the back of the head and there was blood all over. If not for Heero's arm around her, she knew she would've fallen.

Standing on the edge of the crater, where the now dead man had been not too long before, was none other than Guilherme. He approached them quickly, holstering his pistol and brushing away the sweat with the back of one hand.

"Are you, guys, okay?"

"What do you want, de Almeida?" Heero snarled, his arm tightening around Relena protectively.

"Could you just hear what I have to say?"

"What is there for you to say? I thought you had said and done enough already." He started moving as fast as the young woman's still trembling legs allowed. They had already made it past Guilherme when the Brazilian man decided to speak.

"I know what it looked like… But I only meant to help you, guys. You have to believe me!"

Heero attempted to continue walking, but stopped when Relena refused to come with him. "I believe him." She said so that only he could hear.

"You can't be serious."

"He just saved us!"

"Isn't it obvious? It's another trap! He pretends to save us, we trust him again and he kill us when we're not looking."

"If he really wanted to kill us, don't you think he would've done it back in Brazil? Or maybe right now?"

"Stop defending him!"

"Everybody deserves a second chance." The way she said it told him she just wasn't changing her mind.

"Fine, but don't ask for my help when he turns out to be a bad guy." He walked away, his step heavy and fast. He had to get rid of all that frustration or he thought he might explode. He didn't look back, he knew the disappointment in her eyes would've been his undoing.

* * *

Guilherme called for a private airplane, they weren't far from Cairo and soon found themselves in the capital. They rented three rooms in an average hotel with the money they had stolen from Quatre's safe and slept for an entire day, waking only to have a lunch worth of a king.

Heero still felt tired no matter how much he slept or ate, his body was begging him to stop, to have his vacations already. He was still angry at Relena and he still didn't trust the Brazilian man, he watched him all the time, hating how close he was getting to Relena and how fast. It was happening all over again, and he realized he wouldn't be able to stand it, watching quietly as she made the same mistake again.

"It's open." He said when he heard a knock on his door, he knew it was her so he didn't even raise his head to see her timidly walk in.

"What are you doing?" her voice sounded as if she already knew the answer but was afraid to hear it.

"Packing." He said simply as he zipped his bag.

"Why?"

"You already have someone to protect you." Throwing the bag over one shoulder, he finally met her eye. "I'm no longer needed."

She gapped and shook her head, in her eyes he could distinguish a trace of anger and scepticism. "You're being childish."

"No, Relena. For the first time in my life, I'm being selfish. I'm thinking only about myself. I'm tired and, since you already have a replacement, I'm taking my leave." He walked past her as emotionless as he had always been.

"You can't be serious." Now she sounded almost desperate.

"But I am." He waited for her to protest, but she had no words. "I'm sorry, Relena."

As he turned and walked away, he felt both guilty and relieved. If something happened to her he would blame himself forever, but he just couldn't stand being around her and Guilherme anymore, his feelings were mixing and confusing him, it was unbearable.

His head filled with images of Relena, of her crying because he had left and seeking Guilherme to comfort her. He pushed the images and jealousy away, he and Relena were not meant to be and he had to fly back home to deliver his resignation to Lady Une. He wanted to start anew, he wanted to try being a normal man.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **So... Are you with Heero or with Relena? Does Guilherme really deserve a second chance? Tell me what you think. Again, thanks for reading and thanks to all my reviewers!


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Isn't it beautiful?" Guilherme couldn't stop admiring the blue of the sea and how it contrasted with the white colour of the buildings.

Relena didn't answer, she had been to Greece before and, with Heero's departure still bothering her, nothing seemed to impress her. "Isn't it too soon for us to be back in Europe?"

"The important thing is to keep moving." He left her in the balcony for a moment and came back with soda cans. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." She accepted the can he was offering her, with a small smile. "He left because he wanted to."

"But the reason he wanted to was because of me, so it's still my fault." He smiled, turning back to the scenery and the setting sun.

"I told him I love him." She blurted out all of a sudden. "He didn't look particularly pleased."

"You think that's why he left? Because your feelings made him uncomfortable?"

"I don't know… It is a possibility, isn't it?"

"He doesn't seem to be that kind of guy."

She smiled, a more genuine smile this time. "And what kind of guy are you?"

"Me? I'm just fucked up." He moved his hand as if waving the question away, but looked thoughtful as he admired the first stars. "My real name is William. Guilherme is just the Latin version of it…"

"So you're not Brazilian?"

"My mother's British, but I'm still half Brazilian."

"I think you are the mysterious kind of guy."

"I'm not mysterious." He sounded both flattered and embarrassed.

"Yes, you are." She laughed at his face. "We've travelled the world together, but only now I got you to talk to me about yourself. You're a little bit like Heero… He's always avoided talking about himself, always been so private."

Guilherme smiled at her, he wished she would talk about him at least half as fondly as she talked about Heero, but he knew that could never be. "I hope he realizes just how much he's giving up."

Relena turned around, watching him leave. "Can I still call you Al'?" she asked loud enough that he'd hear her inside the bedroom.

"Yeah, Almeida is my real surname after all…" he smiled before stepping out, he had got them separate bedrooms to assure her privacy and prove that she could trust him.

She still spent a long time admiring the scenery. Greece really was beautiful, and she hoped she could share that view with Heero someday.

* * *

He walked into the Preventers' building with confidence in his step, but his eyes and slumped shoulders betrayed his weariness. The elevator ride seemed to take longer than usual, he told himself not to care because hopefully that would be the last time he'd be in that building, taking that elevator and entering that office, Une's office.

"Heero?" she seemed surprised to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"Resigning."

"Resigning?" she blinked at him, unsure if she had heard him right.

"Yes. I'm tired, Une. I want to do something different of my life."

"I understand." She accepted the letter he was offering her. "I'll take care of the paperwork as soon as I can."

"I'll stop by tomorrow to pick up my things."

"You shouldn't have come..."

"What?" he stared at her as if he were seeing her for the first time. Lady Une hid her face behind her hands, and he couldn't accept that she may be crying. "What do you mean? Une!"

"I'm sorry, Heero. I'm so sorry…" she merely shook her head, desolate.

"Une…" he approached her desk, trying hard not to yell at her or grab her by the shoulders and shake her. "What's going on?"

"I'm sorry… I can let you resign but you will not be leaving this building…"

"You're with them then."

"They've got Mariemaia! You know she's like a daughter to me, Heero. I didn't have a choice."

"You could've tried to warn us! You could've done something!" he paced around the room, gesturing with rage and finally ended up punching the table before collapsing on one of the empty chairs. "Is Guilherme de Almeida also involved in this sick plan?"

"Who?"

"The guide you assigned us."

"Oh, I don't know… I don't know anything anymore, but I'd rather think everybody's involved to some point."

He swore under his breath and ran a hand through his hair, it was the first time in his life he thought he would lose all control and just panic. Relena was all he could think of. "I wanna talk to him, the man behind this madness."

"He said you would… He's waiting for you in your office."

Before Heero left, he still looked over his shoulder at that strong woman who had finally been defeated. He felt like telling her it would be alright, but he didn't know and didn't want to lie. They didn't need false reassurances, so with that one last look he closed the door behind him and made his way down the stairs to the floor below where his office was located.

* * *

It was a little past midnight in Athens, when Guilherme's phone rang. It was someone he never expected to hear from again, his boss. He hesitated on picking up. If the call was traced back to him, their whereabouts could be discovered, but there was also the possibility that his letting Heero and Relena escape in Brazil had been seen by his boss as a simple mistake and not a proof of treachery. Hic cover may still be intact.

"William here."

"Agent Shadow?"

"Yes, sir."

"I know you have the woman."

He swallowed dry air, he'd rather not admit or deny anything. It was essential that he was neutral and careful. "Sir?"

"I have a message for her… Tell her she's got three days to show up here or Heero Yuy will be gone. We've already got him in our custody, now it's her choice."

Guilherme didn't have the time to answer, his boss had already hung up. For a long time he just stood there, in the dark, wondering what he should do… Should he take Relena and run, like he wanted to? Or should he deliver that fateful message and stand by as she made her own decision? He had a good guess at what she might do and he didn't like it. Not at all.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **As the story approaches its end, it starts moving faster and faster and I wonder who the big evil guy will be... Anyone has a guess?


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

The office was dark but Heero could see a man's silhouette by the window. He turned on the lights and could only stand there in shock, he had expected anyone, even Quatre, but he would've never imagined… "You?"

"Yes, Yuy. Me."

"Why?" he approached the other man, he still had difficulty believing what was happening. "Why, Chang?"

Wufei's smile disappeared and he walked towards Heero, looking angry. "Why? You still don't see it, do you?"

"I'm afraid not."

"I want you. You have always been the best pilot, the most talented and impeccable of us all. Join my cause, Yuy. You know there's nothing for us in these silly times of peace."

"You could've just talked to me, Chang. Why threaten Relena?"

"That woman has blinded you. Ever since the wars she's been using you and manipulating you. Winner too."

"Quatre? Don't tell me…"

"No, I could never get my hands on him, but he did get his hands on you. They convinced you that peace was good, better than the war, and only if I eliminated them would I be able to make you understand."

"You're mad…" Heero still looked incredulous.

Wufei slammed his hands on the desk, leaning forward with a predatory look. "She's brainwashed you, Yuy!"

"No one's brainwashed me, Chang. I defend Relena's ideals because she's right and I believe in her."

"Really…" the Chinese man laughed. "And you don't call that brainwashing?"

Heero sighed and massaged his temples wearily. What words could he use that would stop that madness? "I love her."

"Your feelings are biased. A man raised in the middle of a war, to be the perfect soldier, cannot love."

"You know nothing about me."

"You know nothing about yourself." His eyes narrowed and he turned away. "But don't worry. I won't give up on you so easily." He heard Heero snort.

"What's next then?" he asked crossing his arms.

"We wait." Wufei turned back to the other man. "You might as well sit down. You're not going anywhere."

* * *

Guilherme would've knocked, but Relena's nerves just couldn't allow her to wait. She threw the door open, breathing hard from running up the stairs, her eyes fell on Heero, who stood by the desk, and she exhaled a long relieved breath asserting that he was alright. Then her eyes found Wufei's and she was puzzled by his expression, he looked both surprised and having been expecting her, she wondered why he hadn't helped Heero escape.

"So…" the Chinese man started circling the desk. Quietly, four other men entered the room. Two went to stand by Heero, the other two stood next to the door. "Have you made your decision, Ms. Peacecraft?"

"I don't use that name anymore, Wufei." She stared attentively at him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm creating a world where soldiers, like me and Heero, can be useful and happy."

"But you are useful!"

"I'm sure you think so, especially considering how eagerly Yuy obeys your orders."

"Orders? What are you talking about?" she frowned, but he looked at it simply as her trying to fool him and Heero, he thought of his gun and getting rid of her forever.

"Am I dismissed, sir?" Guilherme asked, already imagining where his boss' mind was wandering.

"You know, William… It surprises me that you chose to accompany this woman all the way here after what you've done." Wufei gestured to the men that stood by the door and watched as they took hold of a dumbfounded Guilherme. "You thought I wouldn't discover? That your betrayal would pass as a simple mistake?"

"Betrayal? What does that mean?" Relena looked from one man to the other.

"Well… Why don't you explain it to us?" Wufei sat at the desk, waiting.

"I was working as head of Mr. Winner's security staff when the attacks to peace defending organizations started. It may have seemed irrelevant to many people, but Mr. Winner and myself were particularly interested since a couple of the attacked organizations were affiliated to Winner Enterprises.

"When we studied the cases' files, Mr. Winner recognised the m.o. as being the signature of one of his friends. He didn't really believe his suspicions or didn't want to, but our investigation continued anyways.

"We discovered Chang had practically taken over Preventers' administration and had recruited many men. The ones that didn't share his ideal were assigned missions in faraway places, the only one that remained was Yuy. Mr. Winner supposed that was because Chang wanted him in the organization at all costs, so we agreed that I should reclaim my position in Preventers, join the plan and use my cover to protect you."

"So Quatre wasn't the enemy? So why did he imprison us in his manor?" Relena asked puzzled.

"To protect us, of course." Heero crossed his arms.

"But why didn't he tell us?"

"He thought you wouldn't accept his protection if you knew, he was sure Heero would refuse."

"I can see where he got that idea."

"And where's Winner now, William?" Wufei stood up. "Isn't he coming to save you? I'm not allowing you to escape like you did these two."

"Leave him out of this, Chang." Heero turned to the Chinese man. "It's me you want."

Wufei's eyes hardened, he gestured to his men. "Take him, I'll deal with him later."

"Please, Wufei…" Relena walked to the desk and leaned towards him. "Let him go."

"So he can warn the authorities? I don't think so, Ms. Peacecraft." He turned to Heero then. "What were you saying, Yuy?"

"I'll help you…"

"No! Heero!" she attempted to approach him, but Wufei's men blocked her way.

"But I have conditions." Heero continued, ignoring her.

"Go on."

"I want you to ensure Relena's safety; let Mariemaia, Une and Guilherme go; and, finally, I want you to promise me that you will not go after Quatre."

"Quite a lot of requests, huh?"

"I thought it would be just fair after what you've put us through."

"Fair enough." He smiled. "You have my word, Yuy. And you, Ms. Peacecraft, are free to go."

"I'm not leaving."

Heero watched her cross her arms stubbornly and felt as if he would never be able to breathe again. Of course, Wufei had given him his word, but circumstances changed and, if he could place the blame on Relena, his word would still be intact. You can't protect a woman from her own impetuous actions. He closed his eyes, he had been defeated. Relena had defeated him.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **I know the last chapter may have been a little confusing, but I hope this one has cleared some things... I hope, if there is a Wufei fan reading this, that you will forgive me. Originally, Une was going to be the "bad guy", but as the story progressed I thought that that would be way too obvious and since Wufei has always seemed so unhappy by even the mere idea of peace, he just begged to have a more important hole in the story. Once again, thanks for reading!


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

That one silent minute seemed to last forever. Heero could feel his heart pounding as he tried to think of something, anything that would make Relena change her mind. She looked possessed, standing there with a frown, her eyes gleaming with decision. He knew nothing could convince her but he tried to think of something anyways.

"You can't help him…" she turned to him, she was almost begging and that was what gave Heero the craziest idea he had ever had, or so he would later call it.

"Relena…" he met her eyes, allowing himself to show as much emotion as he had ever shown. "Please, go."

"No." she shook her head. "I can't… I can't leave you now."

"I promise you I'll be alright."

"I know you won't, Heero. Don't make promises you can't keep." She sounded disappointed, and it broke his heart.

Wufei was obviously losing his patience, he walked around the table, past Relena, and stopped by the door. "I do not have all day, Ms. Peacecraft. So, if you would…" he gestured towards the door with his gun. Heero saw it as a threat and attempted to approach the Chinese man, but the two agents by his side stopped him, holding him by the arms.

"Relena, go. Now!"

The young minister heard the fear in his voice and turned to Wufei, seeing what Heero had seen. When she turned back around, she seemed about to panic. She didn't want to leave him but what could she do if she stayed? They would both die for no reason and humanity would be doomed. No, Relena was sure Quatre would still try hard to stop Wufei, but would he be able to succeed on his own?

"Last chance, Ms. Peacecraft."

"Relena…" Heero called her again, the fear in her eyes was so obvious, he could only blame himself for having scared her so. "I love you." Her expression changed immediately, but he couldn't give her the time to answer just yet. "Do this for me, okay? For us."

He expected her to say "no", but, she was so shocked, all she could do was nod and slowly walk out, before she left she still gave him one last look over her shoulder. It was a look he would never forget, a mix of fear and love that begged him to be alright. He barely had the time to smile. In a second, she was gone.

* * *

She ran down the corridor, she didn't even know where she was going, all she knew was that she couldn't just leave, she had to do something. A smile made its way into her face, as scared as she was, she couldn't ignore Heero's words. He loved her.

So lost was Relena in her thoughts that she almost missed it when someone called her name. It was a mere whisper coming from the room she had just passed. She stopped, the door was only a little bit open, but she could see it was pitch black inside. For a fraction of a second, she wondered if it could've been a ghost, but reason soon returned to her and she decided to investigate.

With shaky legs she took a step back and pushed the door open. A hand wrapped around her wrist, and she would've screamed if not for a second one against her mouth. Guilherme gestured for her to be quiet and pulled her into the room, closing and locking the door behind them.

The first thing Relena saw, under what little moonlight came through the window, was a table and sitting at the table she recognized Quatre, Duo and Trowa. She sighed in relief, and Guilherme pulled her a chair.

"Welcome _à la résistance_." Quatre smiled at her.

"That's not how we call ourselves!" Duo, who could speak no French, interrupted. "We just haven't found a good name yet."

"This is not the time for names."

"Certainly not." Relena agreed. "We have to do something as soon as possible. He's got Heero!"

"Heero won't help him." Quatre tried to reassure her. "He'll destroy Wufei's operation from the inside."

"Not if Chang discovers what he's up to." Trowa cut in. "And that will be easy for him, he isn't blind nor stupid."

"He isn't stupid?" Duo asked, incredulous. "He should've known there was no fucking way Heero would take his side."

"Perhaps his ideal have blinded him. He is not the young man we used to know anymore. He saw Heero only as a key to his success."

"But that doesn't change the fact that he isn't stupid and that, if he realizes his mistake, Heero will be dead."

Relena felt the blood leave her face, she thought she would faint, but Quatre's hand on her arm brought her back to reality. "We need to save him."

"Not _we_, 'Lena. We can't consciously endanger you."

"Heero would kill us." Duo added with a sly smile.

"But, then… What will I do?"

"You will do what you are best at." Quatre turned her to him and smiled. "You will warn the authorities, the people and anyone else you think should be informed."

"But that's… Wouldn't Wufei know?"

"He will know and he will be so angry his reasoning will be compromised."

"Or so you hope, Maxwell." Trowa shook his head.

"It'll be the perfect distraction." Quatre said simply, not wanting her to feel pressured.

"I'll do it." She nodded.

"Good." Guilherme offered her his hand. "I'll accompany you."

* * *

"We cannot accept such a thing!" the Foreign Minister's voice echoed in all houses that morning. "Preventers was created to help worldwide police solve international crimes and protect the people! We can't allow one man to take over and turn it into a weapon! We must unite and fight for our rights! We must claim and protect that which is ours!"

A young soldier, seeing the people on the streets marching to Preventers' main building, immediately called headquarters. The man who received the phone call abandoned all his duties and ran to his superior's office, slamming the door open.

"Sir! The Foreign Minister is on TV, live, and she's turning the people against us!" he turned on the TV in the corner so his boss would see for himself. Relena appeared almost immediately, shaking her fists with passion as she spoke.

Wufei grit his teeth, he thanked the soldier and asked him to send Yuy to his office, Heero must surely have something to do with all that, and, if he didn't, Wufei was sure he would be glad to put Relena's fire out.

Heero's office was right beside the Chinese man's so it didn't take him long to get there. As soon as he entered, the first think he saw was the TV, the image of all those people marching together. He had seen that before and he knew exactly who was behind all that. She appeared next, her speech went on and on, but that obviously wasn't the reason why Wufei looked so annoyed.

"What is the meaning of that?"

"_You _called me here, Chang."

"Don't play dumb, Yuy."

"She's doing what's right and you know it."

"You…" he stopped, controlling himself. "You never planned to help me, did you?"

"No." he answered honestly.

"What did you plan to do? Sabotage the operation?"

"I'd try and, if I failed to do anything, I would at least kill myself before you had the chance to use me."

"Well…" Wufei leaned back on his chair, he sounded disappointed. "I should've known."

"What will you do, then?"

"You're a traitor, Yuy. Justice has to be done."

"How will you do it?"

"I won't do it myself unless you want me to." The Japanese man shrugged. "Have you really not thought of how you'd like to die?"

"No."

"Then I'll have you arrested and, when you decide, you may inform me." He stood up and walked towards the door, calling in the men who were outside and gesturing for them to arrest Heero. "You were a good soldier, Yuy. An idol for us all… You deserve to choose how you want to die."

Heero nodded his thanks and quietly walked out. He knew how he wanted to die… In Relena's arms.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **Despite discovering that I just can't write convincing speeches, I think this chapter went pretty well. Some of you were wondering about Duo and Trowa, well, there they are. I thought making them join Wufei would've been too much... Again, thanks for reading and reviewing!


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Wufei believed in war, in its power to put men in their places. To him, war gave life meaning and prevented people from robbing, kidnapping, drug dealing… It made them soldiers, it made them better. That's how he had always viewed war, so he didn't understand how Heero could see it under a different light. What did he see in peace? He had tried to understand, he really had. He had made Preventers his life but at the end of the day he still felt meaningless, like he didn't belong in that world of peace…

Was that woman the reason Heero didn't end up like him? Was it love? He couldn't see himself in love… not in the current scenario. He wished he could understand the Wing pilot better, just to be sure he was being a hundred per cent fair in his decision, but he couldn't and he had to think of the other ex-soldiers his plan would benefit not only of himself.

He would talk to Heero, but first he had to take care of the woman. He called one of his most trustable men and sent him after her straight away, it was time he showed her just how great his power was. Feeling satisfied, he stood up, ready to go receive the arrested Foreign Minister in person, but a knock on the door stopped him and, without waiting for permission, his visitor walked in.

"Winner." He wasn't surprised, that possibility had already crossed his mind.

"We need to talk."

"I was about to leave, so you rather make it quick."

"You won't get her, Wufei. We made sure of that." Quatre saw the scepticism in the Chinese man's eyes and provoked even more. "You can call you men if you want, I'm sure they've made it there by now."

Wufei's eyes narrowed. "I won't give you the pleasure."

"Of course not."

"You still haven't told me why you're here."

"I thought you knew."

"To stop me? You know I can't be stopped."

"The people are against you, Wufei. Don't you think your men will soon be as well?" the blonde looked sympathetically at that man, who, despite all that had happened, he still considered his friend. "How much longer do you think they'll stay by your side once they realize everybody's against you?"

"There are men who share my ideals whether you like it or not."

"Surely, half a dozen." Quatre frowned at the other's glare. "Humans are peaceful by nature."

"That's where you're wrong, Winner. Humans are, above all, selfish. They think only about themselves and that leads them to corruption, to breaking the law. The war gives them objectives, it sets them straight."

"Yes, it gives them the objective of saving their lives and their loved ones'; of abandoning everything they worked so hard to build, because they're afraid of losing their lives! _You _are the one who's being selfish!" he shook with rage but his eyes were cold and composed.

"You won't change my mind, Winner." Wufei said seemingly unaffected. They glared at each other, a silent battle that might have gone on forever if the phone hadn't rung. "Yes?" the Chinese man answered not too friendly.

"Sir? Foreign Minister Darlian isn't in the building, sir. We've looked everywhere."

"Fine. Return to HQ immediately and keep an eye open for anything suspicious."

"I warned you." Quatre said as soon as Wufei had hung up.

"Was that all, Winner? Because I have other things to do."

"Yeah, I guess that's all."

"My men will see you out." He gestured to the agents who stood by the door, outside of his office.

Quatre didn't complain, he simply nodded and followed the two bulky men. He had foreseen the result of his argument with the Chinese pilot and he already had a B plan, now all he needed was for Trowa to help him get rid of his unwanted bodyguards and for Duo to shut down the security cameras. He hoped they'd be on time.

* * *

Heero was used to cells, he didn't mind sitting in silence for hours on end and he didn't care if he had beef and wine or bead and water for lunch. He only wished he had news, his mind was running in circles, wondering insistently if Relena was okay and if whatever plan she was involved in, because he just had to believe there was a plan, would work out.

Leaning against the wall with a sigh, he squinted his eyes to try and see through the window high up in the opposite wall. Judging by the light, someone would soon be bringing him lunch. It didn't make sense that they should feed him, he was going to die anyways, to him it felt like they were wasting food, but he knew Wufei thought differently.

The door opened and a young man came in, he opened the cell door and placed the tray in as fast as he could, before leaving without as much as a word. It didn't matter that Heero was a prisoner now; people still feared and respected him. He examined the food from afar, it looked eatable, he wasn't hungry at all though. He closed his eyes, ready to go back to his reflections, but the sound of the door disturbed him yet again. He waited, listening quietly, there was only silence.

"Heero?" a woman's voice called timidly, he recognized it immediately.

"Relena?" She finally stepped in, searching for him with keen eyes. When she spotted him, she smiled and approached the cell, obviously relieved. She tested the cold metal bars with her delicate hands. "What are you doing back here?"

"I'm getting you out."

He stood, eyes hard on her. "No, you're not. You have to leave."

"I'm not leaving without you."

"We're not having this conversation again."

"Good, then be nice and just tell me where the keys are." She waited, but all he did was stare. "Are they those by the door? Doesn't look like they are…"

"Relena, I'm serious. Leave. The keys are not here."

"You could be telling me that just so I would leave." She looked up at him for a fraction of a second as she rummaged through the drawers of the abandoned desk in the corner.

"I'm not."

"You swear?" he nodded. "Where are they?"

"What does it matter? Leave."

"No." she glared at him. "I'm going to go look for those keys or anything else that might open that door. I'll be right back."

"Don't!" he managed to stop her. "If you go walking around, unarmed and alone, you'll end up dead."

"The what?"

"Leave." This time he said it more matter-of-factly than angrily.

"No." she repeated, getting a very frustrated sigh out of him.

"Fine." He got as close to her as the bars allowed him. "The keys are with one of Wufei's men, you won't be able to get them." His eyes roamed around the room, searching for something they could use, then they fell on her. "Do you have a hair pin?"

"Here."

He inserted the hair pin in the lock and tried to concentrate, he may not have Duo's amazing lock picking abilities, but he could at least try. Relena waited patiently, she didn't seem at all worried that they might get caught. That may be why she didn't notice Wufei had walked in until he was almost breathing on her neck.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to get Heero and this time you won't stop me."

"After all you've done you still have the audacity of showing your face here?"

"These people had the right to know what you were planning."

"You turned them against me!" he shook his fist at her, but she didn't look at all affected.

"This is the result of your selfishness alone." She took a step closer to him.

Wufei grit his teeth, Quatre too had called him selfish. That wasn't him, he wasn't selfish and he didn't want anyone thinking so. "First, you forced us all into this unnatural state of peace, where neither of us are needed. Then, you ruined my plan to undo _your _mistake and now you accuse _me _of being selfish?"

"You can't be so blind…"

"Chang." Heero cut in before Relena could continue. "You have to listen to us. We're your friends."

"So you agree with her. You too think I'm being selfish?" he saw the hesitation, the uncertainty, so foreign in the Japanese man's face and it only angered him more. "Tell me, Yuy!"

"Yes, I agree with her. I think, when there are so many people against you, including your closest friends, it's time to accept that you may be being selfish."

What he saw in Heero's eyes, at that moment, changed his perspective completely. He didn't see just worry or concern, he saw truth, belief. Heero believed in what he was saying, it wasn't just the woman's influence, and Wufei couldn't ignore that. A part of him claimed it was time to accept the truth and give up, but the other, bigger, part shouted 'no, there's no going back now'. It was listening to that angry part of himself that he reached for his gun, pointed it at the one whom he had always believed was responsible for it all, and fired.

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**Author's Notes: **I guess we've reached our climax. I hope the story hasn't lost quality or become boring, my stories tend to do that as they start reaching their end. It's really annoying and I'm trying to solve that problem, but you never know... Thank you all for reading and special thanks to my reviewers!


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

It all happened right in front of him, but it was so fast he didn't even understand what he was doing until it was too late. He raised the gun, it was all he could do, still she ended up on the floor, bleeding. Wufei turned to Heero in time to see the surprise and fear be replaced by rage and consternation. The former Wing pilot grabbed the metal bars and fixed him with desperate eyes, but Wufei could barely see him.

"Chang! Help her! Do something!"

He turned back to the unconscious, most probably dead, woman. She was innocent, she didn't want to be a part of this and he had killed her. No, it couldn't be. He took a step back, then another, his hands were shaking and he dropped the gun, suddenly afraid of it. Heero's eyes still pierced through him, angry and desperate. He took another step back and, unable to take in that tragic scene he, himself, had made, he fled.

Heero watched, incredulous, then started shouting all sorts of things, trying to make him come back and help Relena. He knew it was useless, Wufei was gone. The hair pin was still in his hands, but they were shaking way too much for him to open the cell door. He didn't know what to do, except try not to panic, if he were calm enough maybe he could figure out what to do.

Quatre saved him the trouble by walking in at that very moment. The blonde took but one look at the whole scene to understand what had happened and, keys in hand, advance towards Heero.

"Quatre, no. Help Relena!"

"There's nothing I can do for her, Heero." He answered as he tried the keys one by one.

"Winner, please. Take her to a hospital. Wufei shot her. Youhave to get her to a hospital, _now_!"

"I told you I can't help her!" Quatre had tears in his eyes, that was enough to quiet the other man. "Wufei has planted explosives all over the building. We have to get out now or we'll _all _be dead."

"Wufei's exploding the building?" Heero watched as the blonde tried yet another wrong key. "He's really gone mad…"

"I never doubted that." Quatre finally pushed the door open, hurrying to help the Japanese man hold Relena so they could leave. "Is she breathing?"

"Yes, but she's lost a good amount of blood."

"Where did the bullet hit?"

"I'm not sure, there's blood everywhere. We better go, if you're right and Chang really intends to blow up HQ, we mustn't have much time."

Quatre nodded, they could take a better look at Relena once they were safe. "Come. Duo has deactivated the cameras so we should have no trouble."

"Maxwell is in this too, then?"

"Yes, and so is Trowa. I sent them to the surrounding buildings to order evacuation."

Heero nodded, he could applaud Quatre's good planning and execution later, for now they had to concentrate on get out of the building and saving Relena. She felt so light in his arms… He was afraid, afraid she would be damaged forever and never be the same again. Then his love confession would've been meaningless, he'd never hear her answer, he'd never even have a glimpse of what life could be with her.

As he ran through the corridors, following an almost desperate Quatre, he had the feeling he may have been too late. He had wasted so many years, like Wufei, trying to break up with his past without really doing so, and now, when he decided that he wanted to move on, to have a normal life, he may have to do it without the one person who mattered most to him.

"You're late." Trowa reproached them when they met at the lobby.

"I had trouble finding the right key." Quatre justified.

"We only have about five minutes. Let's get out of here."

Together, they all left the building and ran to the opposite side of the street, making sure they were at a safe enough distance. Heero carefully laid Relena on the floor and started and examination as Quatre explained what had happened to the others and called an ambulance. It was then that Duo seemed to remember something, his eyes running over his friends as if counting them.

"Where's Will?"

"He was with me when I started searching for Heero." Quatre looked around with a confused expression.

"When did he leave your side?" Trowa questioned him.

"I can't remember exactly… It all happened so fast… All I can remember is that, as I entered the room where Heero was, he was right behind me."

"So he disappeared after you found Heero?"

"He was guarding the door…Wait!"

"What?"

"It was after Heero told me Wufei had shot Relena, that's when he disappeared."

"He must have gone after Wufei."

"So he's still in the building!" Duo attempted to run back into Preventers' headquarter, but Trowa had his arm in a firm hold.

"I know he's your friend, Duo, but that building may explode anytime now."

The American pilot stepped back, however reluctantly, and Quatre placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Trowa turned to Heero, who had been listening quietly, and motioned towards Relena with his head.

"She'll be fine." He answered the unspoken question obviously relieved. "The bullet hit her on the shoulder." He frowned, having realized something through his own words.

"You think…"

"If he really wanted to kill her, he would've done so. There was no way he could've missed from such a short distance."

"So… You're saying Wufei missed on purpose?" Duo asked with a slightly worried tone. The others nodded. "Then, that means… Wufei isn't evil after all?"

"That would explain why he panicked after he shot her…"

"It seems to me…" Quatre cut in. "He realized his mistake at the last second and, now, he's trying to correct it."

They were interrupted by the distant sound of shots coming from inside the building. Duo started running almost immediately. Before he had gotten far though, there was a loud thunder like sound, the earth shook, throwing them all on the ground, and the entire building was engulfed by a giant column of fire. Thick dark smoke covered everything, sirens could be heard in the distance, and for a seemingly endless moment the heat of the flames was all they could feel.

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**Author's Notes: **Short chapter, yes, I apologize. Next chapter will probably be the last so I'll take a little longer to write it. It'll hopefully be longer in length too. Thank to all those who left me such kind reviews. Your support is greatly appreciated.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

He entered the cemetery one step at a time. It was a cold, windy day and the cloudy skies predicted rain. His legs carried him past endless corridors of graves, his eyes barely taking the time to read the names and epitaphs engraved in stone. Entire families had laid there for centuries, no one having the courage to remove them and open the space for others still to come. He had never been to a place like that, but he had never lost anyone remotely close to him before.

It was almost at the end of the cemetery that he found the grave he'd been searching for. He stopped right in front of it, staring at the tombstone quietly as the cold wind made him shiver. They had picked a good spot, it was really beautiful there, completely different than the rest of the place, the long lines of stones. This grave was in the middle of the green field, surrounded by flowers as all newcomers' were.

"I never thought you'd be the first of us to go." He placed the flowers he carried on the stone, beside many others that were still there. "I'm sorry for not coming to your burial." He felt silly, talking to a stone, but it seemed to be the only way now. The stone didn't look like it would be answering anytime soon, and so he continued. "I came to tell you that you're forgiven. I don't blame you for what happened, Chang. None of us do. I thought you should know that."

The wind had grown insistent, but he remained there, treasuring that moment of silence, the last moment he'd spend with his fellow pilot and friend. He wondered if he would be buried in a place like that one day, he wasn't sure that was what he wanted, but he hoped it was what Wufei had wanted. When he left, he was feeling at peace.

Quatre waited for him at the exit, a small weak smile on his lips. "I saw your car outside, so I waited."

"I thought I should come."

"You missed the burial."

"I thought Buddhists had other traditions."

"I'm sure they do, but he wasn't very religious."

"I don't blame him."

"Neither do I." they watched the skies together, waiting for the rain that threatened to fall but didn't. "News of William?"

"The bullet that killed Wufei came from his gun, Une confirmed it, but still no signs of the body or the weapon itself."

"You think he could've survived?"

"I think that's highly improbable."

"But… Then, what?"

"I don't know. I rather not theorize, that's not my area."

"You're right. The best we can do now is move on. It's what he would've wanted us to do, especially you, Heero."

Heero smiled and patted his friend on the back, turning to leave. He knew he needed no words neither to thank him nor to leave him, before he entered his car though, he raised one hand as if waving goodbye. As far as he was, he could still see Quatre's smile widen.

The streets were practically deserted as if the entire world were mourning with them. He knew they were not, there was no sympathy for those who had erred, no forgiveness.

He drove slowly, enjoying the calm and the silence. When he passed by the place where the old Preventers' headquarters used to be, he admired the horizon. Tall buildings really were a curse, maybe Wufei had done all that only so he could explode that horrible building. That thought made him laugh. As he looked away from the destruction and back to the road, he hoped he'd never get to see what they'd build in that lot.

The rain started falling right before he pulled up in front of the hospital. Thick, cold drops that fell on his head and ran down his neck as he crossed the street. He hated hospitals but he couldn't wait to deliver his second bouquet.

Ever since she had woken up, the day after the incident, they had been dancing around each other, exchanging embarrassed smiles and polite words. Her doctor had been worried and, despite her incredibly good recovery, had requested that she stay in hospital a little longer, just until he was sure she was completely recovered. That hospital atmosphere didn't feel comfortable enough for them to talk, so the silence stretched.

That day he found her packing, more than a little excited. He leaned against the door, watching quietly, he wondered where she got all that energy from, she was absolutely restless. "So he's released you?"

"How long have you been there?" she stared at him wide eyed.

"Not long." He stepped into the room and reached for the vase by the bedside table, taking it into the bathroom as Relena resumed packing.

"He hasn't _really _released me yet…" her eyes met his as he returned from the bathroom, and he raised his eyebrows, asking her for an explanation. "It's the fifth day I've been here! He can't imprison me much longer, can he?"

"You were shot, Relena." He said matter-of-factly.

"Well, then, at least let me rest at home." She closed her bag, annoyed. "If my mother hadn't scared the doctor, he wouldn't treat me as if I were made of porcelain."

Heero merely smiled, discreetly. "I could bring you some books, if you wanted."

"So you think he isn't letting me…" she trailed off, her eyes caught by something. "You brought… Are those for me?"

"I thought they might make you feel a little more comfortable here."

"Oh, Heero… I don't even know what to say." She sat on the high hospital bed, feeling both guilty and tired. "I've been so annoying these last two days… If I were you, I would've told me to shut up already, but you've been nothing but nice and patient."

"I've been there, Relena. I know how maddening hospitals can be."

She nodded, turning her head to admire the flowers. A smile slowly blossomed on her lips. When she turned back to him, it had already grown to the point of taking his breath away. "Thank you." All he could do was nod and try to stay still as her eyes ran over him, accessing his general appearance before returning to his face. "You were at the cemetery."

"Yes, I was." He stared at her, surprised. She patted the spot beside her and waited.

"How did it go?"

"It was just a cemetery, Relena." Those words had barely left his lips when the lights went out. The absence of the white lights seemed to make them more comfortable, it changed the atmosphere completely. The silence lasted just enough for their eyes to adjust.

"I think I should visit him too, once I've recovered. Tell him it wasn't his fault."

"It's lonely… Talking to a tombstone."

"Well… I have done so for years after my father died. I think I should be alright."

"I'm sorry." He sounded genuinely sorry, and she took his hand in hers.

"It's not your fault."

"I feel like, somehow, it's all my fault." He avoided her eyes, focusing on their intertwined hands instead. "Your father's death, your becoming a politician, Wufei trying to kill you…"

"Why would it be your fault?" she sounded so shocked, she actually managed to bring his eyes back to her face.

"There was always so much pressure on me… Sometimes I wondered if the whole war wasn't my fault. There were just so many things I could've prevented from happening…"

"You were fifteen!"

"Yes, but that's past. The mistakes I made these last weeks… Those mistakes are unforgivable. If Guilherme wasn't a disguised Preventers' agent you'd be dead now, not only that but my irresponsibility would've made it more than easy for him to accomplish that."

"Is that why you left Preventers?"

"That and the fact that I want to move on, though I'm not sure I'll ever be able to."

Relena looked away, beyond the white walls and the falling rain, and smiled. "When we were in Argentina, you told me I had saved you from yourself."

"Yes." He agreed rather reluctantly. At that moment those words had come to him quite easily, now he felt embarrassed. He no longer knew who he was.

"Would you…" she met his eyes again. "allow me to save you one last time?"

"So you still haven't lost your hopes on me." He smiled briefly.

"I never will." It was her turn to smile. "Will you let me save you?"

Heero didn't have to search deeply to find the love in her eyes. Even in the relative darkness of the room, it shone bright and warm as a flame. He admired her beauty; it seemed to him to be transcendental, a goddess' beauty. As naturally as if he had done it his entire life, he pushed a few strands of hair away from her face. "Yes, please."

She didn't give him the time to smile, instead she pushed her lips against his, pouring all her love into that one kiss. His hand found her neck and he pulled her even closer. The rain was loud against the window, but neither of them could hear it, for during that moment only they existed.

"So…" Relena started when they had pulled away, breathless. "What will you do now?"

"What will _you _do? Resume your work as Foreign Minister?"

"No, I'm more than done with that." She laughed to herself. "I guess we'll both be starting over."

"Together." He squeezed her hand and smiled.

"Together." She agreed with a smile of her own, then with a long sigh laid her head on his shoulder. "I've dreamed of this moment for so long… It's hard to believe it's really happening."

"In your dreams, were we in a hospital?"

"No… Of course not." Her smile widened. "We were in many different places… Some times at the beach, others in a cottage in the mountains… I know it's silly."

He smiled against her head, trying to memorize her smell, and ran his fingers through her hair slowly. It had been a long week, Une had asked him to help her organize everything and he had gotten involved in the investigations and searches. He felt horribly tired all of a sudden, but he also felt at peace like he never had before.

"I have some money. We could go to the beach or the mountains if you wanted to."

"Actually… There's a place I'd like to visit with you."

"Hn…"

"Greece."

"Greece? Why Greece?"

"Because it's beautiful and I think it's the perfect place for us to start our new life."

"A new life…" he repeated, testing the sound of the words. "Sounds good."

"Sounds like a dream." She smiled sleepily.

"Then sleep. The dream will soon be real."

"If the doctor lets me go…"

"We'll talk to him."

"_You'll _talk to him. I have talked to him enough."

"I'm not talking to _your_ doctor."

Relena pulled away and looked straight into his eyes. He saw the light deep in her eyes, that same light he had seen when he had first met her, and he knew she would soon come up with one of her crazy ideas. It didn't take long.

"Let's run away!" her eyes shone with excitement.

"Don't you think we have run away enough already?"

"If it's with you, I could run away forever." She smiled, but he didn't seem to be affected by it. He stood up and walked towards the window, watching the rain outside. "Heero?"

"You should rest."

"I'm not…!" she started defending herself, but he interrupted.

"Tomorrow morning, we're running away." they exchanged the knowing smile of accomplices.

Outside, the last raindrops fell and the clouds moved slowly, preparing the sky for the sun to shine again.

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**Author's Notes: **First of all, I'd like to say that I know I left some questions unanswered, but that's just in case I decide to write a sequel. I'd like to thank all of you, readers, for supporting me through this little project. Thanks for reading, favouriting, reviewing, adding this to your alerts... I never expected the feedback that I got and I'm really happy. Hope you enjoyed _The Runaways_!


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